Krispy Kreme (NASDAQ:DNUT) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Krispy Kreme (NASDAQ:DNUT) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on DNUT. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Krispy Kreme from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 27th. Evercore set a $4.00 target price on shares of Krispy Kreme in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Krispy Kreme from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “sell (e+)” rating in a report on Friday, October 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Krispy Kreme presently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $4.33.

Krispy Kreme Stock Down 9.3%

DNUT stock opened at $4.17 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $3.14 and a 200 day moving average of $3.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $718.91 million, a PE ratio of -7.87 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a quick ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. Krispy Kreme has a 52 week low of $2.81 and a 52 week high of $5.03.

Krispy Kreme (NASDAQ:DNUT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The company reported $0.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.01 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $328.76 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $311.41 million. Krispy Kreme had a negative net margin of 6.16% and a negative return on equity of 1.17%. Krispy Kreme’s revenue was down 12.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.01 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Krispy Kreme will post -0.06 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Krispy Kreme

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Allworth Financial LP purchased a new position in shares of Krispy Kreme in the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue acquired a new stake in shares of Krispy Kreme in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Coastal Bridge Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Krispy Kreme during the 2nd quarter worth $37,000. Abel Hall LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Krispy Kreme in the first quarter valued at $45,000. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Krispy Kreme during the second quarter worth approximately $56,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.72% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Krispy Kreme

Here are the key news stories impacting Krispy Kreme this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter adjusted earnings were $0.06 per share, above estimates of about $0.01–$0.02, while revenue of $328.76 million also topped forecasts. The company raised its 2026 revenue outlook, citing continued turnaround progress. Bloomberg article
• Positive Sentiment: The shift toward an asset-light model is reducing investment needs: franchisees accounted for 42% of systemwide sales in Q3, and year-to-date capital spending fell 65% to $28.6 million. These changes could support cash flow and profitability if the strategy continues to gain traction. The Motley Fool article
• Neutral Sentiment: Traders bought 4,003 DNUT put options, about 23% above the average daily volume. This may reflect increased hedging or bearish positioning, but options volume alone does not establish traders’ outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the earnings beat, revenue declined 12.4% year over year and the company continues to report a net loss. The stock’s pullback may also reflect profit-taking after its strong initial reaction to the results.

Krispy Kreme Company Profile

Krispy Kreme, Inc is a global doughnut and coffee company best known for its Original Glazed doughnuts. The company sells doughnuts, packaged sweets, coffee and other beverages through Krispy Kreme shops, in-store retail displays and digital ordering channels.

Krispy Kreme operates a hub-and-spoke distribution model that combines doughnut-making hubs and shops with delivery to grocery stores, convenience stores and other retail locations. Its products are also distributed through partnerships and branded locations, allowing the company to expand its reach beyond traditional Krispy Kreme shops.

Founded in 1937 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, by Vernon Rudolph, Krispy Kreme has grown into an international brand serving customers in the United States and various markets across North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania.