Jack in the Box (NASDAQ:JACK) Upgraded at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Jack in the Box (NASDAQ:JACK) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Thursday.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on the stock. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $50.00 price objective on shares of Jack in the Box in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Jack in the Box from $55.00 to $45.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. UBS Group dropped their price target on Jack in the Box from $50.00 to $44.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Jack in the Box from $44.00 to $40.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Northcoast Research downgraded Jack in the Box from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $49.56.

Jack in the Box Stock Performance

Shares of Jack in the Box stock opened at $38.62 on Thursday. Jack in the Box has a 1 year low of $32.69 and a 1 year high of $76.56. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $39.55 and its 200-day simple moving average is $44.52. The firm has a market cap of $728.22 million, a PE ratio of -19.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.94.

Jack in the Box (NASDAQ:JACK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 25th. The restaurant operator reported $1.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.71 by $0.21. Jack in the Box had a negative return on equity of 15.79% and a negative net margin of 2.34%. The firm had revenue of $469.44 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $470.47 million. On average, equities analysts predict that Jack in the Box will post 5.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Jack in the Box Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 8th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be issued a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.56%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 20th. Jack in the Box’s payout ratio is -90.26%.

Insider Transactions at Jack in the Box

In related news, SVP Sarah L. Super sold 1,688 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.52, for a total value of $68,397.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 16,815 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $681,343.80. This trade represents a 9.12 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders have sold a total of 2,190 shares of company stock valued at $92,961 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Jack in the Box

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Jack in the Box during the fourth quarter valued at $427,000. PVG Asset Management Corp purchased a new stake in Jack in the Box in the 4th quarter worth about $238,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in Jack in the Box during the 4th quarter worth about $40,000. Novem Group purchased a new position in Jack in the Box during the 4th quarter valued at about $212,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its holdings in shares of Jack in the Box by 16.9% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 34,676 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,444,000 after purchasing an additional 5,022 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

Jack in the Box Company Profile

Jack in the Box Inc operates and franchises Jack in the Box and Del Taco quick-service restaurants in the United States. The company was founded in 1951 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.