J & J Snack Foods Corp. (NASDAQ:JJSF) Short Interest Update

J & J Snack Foods Corp. (NASDAQ:JJSF) was the target of a significant growth in short interest during the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totaling 886,411 shares, a growth of 26.4% from the November 30th total of 701,261 shares. Approximately 5.9% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 246,738 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.6 days. Based on an average daily volume of 246,738 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.6 days. Approximately 5.9% of the company’s shares are sold short.

J & J Snack Foods Stock Down 0.9%

NASDAQ:JJSF opened at $89.79 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $1.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.80 and a beta of 0.35. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $89.57 and its 200-day moving average price is $101.86. J & J Snack Foods has a 52 week low of $80.67 and a 52 week high of $158.07.

J & J Snack Foods (NASDAQ:JJSF) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 17th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.24 by $0.34. J & J Snack Foods had a return on equity of 8.73% and a net margin of 4.14%.The business had revenue of $410.24 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $424.08 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.60 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that J & J Snack Foods will post 4.75 earnings per share for the current year.

J & J Snack Foods Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th will be given a $0.80 dividend. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 16th. J & J Snack Foods’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 95.52%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently commented on JJSF. Zacks Research upgraded shares of J & J Snack Foods from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 8th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of J & J Snack Foods in a report on Monday. Finally, Benchmark cut their price target on shares of J & J Snack Foods from $150.00 to $130.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, J & J Snack Foods has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $132.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Kathleen E. Ciaramello acquired 540 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 20th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $90.56 per share, with a total value of $48,902.40. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 1,013 shares in the company, valued at $91,737.28. This trade represents a 114.16% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 21.80% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On J & J Snack Foods

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of J & J Snack Foods by 902.9% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 351 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 316 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its position in J & J Snack Foods by 243.5% during the second quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 426 shares of the company’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC purchased a new stake in shares of J & J Snack Foods in the second quarter valued at $59,000. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of J & J Snack Foods by 198.9% in the 2nd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 529 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,000 after acquiring an additional 352 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its holdings in J & J Snack Foods by 31.0% during the 1st quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 613 shares of the company’s stock valued at $81,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares during the last quarter. 76.04% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About J & J Snack Foods

J & J Snack Foods (NASDAQ: JJSF) is a U.S.-based manufacturer and distributor of branded snack foods and frozen beverages. Headquartered in Pennsauken, New Jersey, the company develops, produces and markets a broad array of proprietary and licensed products for retail, concession and foodservice customers. Its offerings span soft pretzels, frozen novelties, real Italian ice, churros and packaged beverages under well-known names such as ICEE, SuperPretzel, Luigi’s and ChurroMan.

Founded in 1971 by Gerald B.