Brokerages Set Krispy Kreme, Inc. (NASDAQ:DNUT) PT at $4.50

Shares of Krispy Kreme, Inc. (NASDAQ:DNUT) have earned an average recommendation of “Reduce” from the six ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has assigned a hold recommendation and two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $4.50.

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Krispy Kreme from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, May 17th. Zacks Research cut shares of Krispy Kreme from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Krispy Kreme in a report on Wednesday, June 24th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Krispy Kreme

In related news, Director Bernardo Hees purchased 235,875 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were bought at an average price of $3.39 per share, for a total transaction of $799,616.25. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 1,229,037 shares in the company, valued at $4,166,435.43. This trade represents a 23.75% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In the last quarter, insiders have acquired 880,190 shares of company stock valued at $2,973,833. 1.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania purchased a new position in shares of Krispy Kreme in the 4th quarter worth about $8,077,000. Ground Swell Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Krispy Kreme during the 4th quarter worth about $67,000. R Squared Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Krispy Kreme by 61.7% during the 4th quarter. R Squared Ltd now owns 22,983 shares of the company’s stock worth $92,000 after purchasing an additional 8,767 shares during the period. FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in Krispy Kreme during the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. Finally, Abel Hall LLC acquired a new stake in Krispy Kreme during the 1st quarter worth approximately $45,000. 81.72% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Krispy Kreme Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:DNUT opened at $3.18 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $548.23 million, a P/E ratio of -1.06 and a beta of 1.26. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $3.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $3.44. Krispy Kreme has a 52 week low of $2.88 and a 52 week high of $5.11. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31.

Krispy Kreme (NASDAQ:DNUT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported ($0.05) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.03) by ($0.02). Krispy Kreme had a negative return on equity of 4.34% and a negative net margin of 33.36%.The business had revenue of $367.03 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $359.42 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted ($0.05) earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Krispy Kreme will post -0.07 EPS for the current year.

Krispy Kreme Company Profile

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc (NASDAQ: DNUT) is a global retailer and wholesaler renowned for its signature Original Glazed doughnut and a variety of other sweet treats. The company operates through a combination of company-owned stores, franchise outlets and strategic partnerships with supermarkets, convenience stores and other foodservice channels. In addition to its doughnut portfolio, Krispy Kreme offers freshly brewed coffee, assorted beverages and proprietary seasonal items designed to drive traffic and foster brand loyalty.

Founded in 1937 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, by Vernon Rudolph, Krispy Kreme has grown from a single local shop to a multinational brand.