Granahan Investment Management LLC Raises Stock Holdings in Kura Sushi USA, Inc. $KRUS

Key Points

• Granahan Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Kura Sushi USA by 125.4% in Q3 to 671,012 shares (an additional 373,354 shares), representing about 5.54% of the company and roughly $39.9 million, making KRUS its 19th-largest holding (≈1.6% of Granahan’s portfolio).
• Insider Hajime Uba sold 9,874 shares on Jan. 16 at an average price of $72.93 for about $720,110, reducing his direct ownership to 6,026 shares (a 62.1% decline); insiders now own 2.28% of KRUS.
• Analysts are mixed: KRUS carries a consensus "Hold" with an average target of $78 (5 Buys, 5 Holds, 1 Sell); the company reported a Q result of -$0.23 EPS (missed -$0.17) and remains unprofitable, with a market cap of about $697 million.

Granahan Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Kura Sushi USA, Inc. (NASDAQ:KRUS - Free Report) by 125.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 671,012 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 373,354 shares during the quarter. Kura Sushi USA comprises about 1.6% of Granahan Investment Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position. Granahan Investment Management LLC owned about 5.54% of Kura Sushi USA worth $39,865,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of KRUS. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its position in Kura Sushi USA by 42.5% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 953 shares of the company's stock worth $82,000 after buying an additional 284 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its holdings in shares of Kura Sushi USA by 5.4% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 5,623 shares of the company's stock worth $334,000 after buying an additional 287 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Kura Sushi USA in the second quarter worth about $29,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Kura Sushi USA by 18.2% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 3,983 shares of the company's stock worth $204,000 after purchasing an additional 613 shares during the period. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its position in Kura Sushi USA by 95.3% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 1,324 shares of the company's stock valued at $79,000 after acquiring an additional 646 shares in the last quarter. 65.49% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Hajime Uba sold 9,874 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.93, for a total value of $720,110.82. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 6,026 shares in the company, valued at $439,476.18. This represents a 62.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 2.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

KRUS has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Loop Capital set a $70.00 price target on shares of Kura Sushi USA in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $85.00 price target on Kura Sushi USA in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Kura Sushi USA from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (e+)" rating on shares of Kura Sushi USA in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Benchmark reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Kura Sushi USA in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Kura Sushi USA presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $78.00.

Kura Sushi USA Price Performance

Shares of Kura Sushi USA stock opened at $57.59 on Monday. Kura Sushi USA, Inc. has a 12 month low of $40.03 and a 12 month high of $95.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $697.41 million, a P/E ratio of -174.52 and a beta of 1.67. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $68.67 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $63.07.

Kura Sushi USA (NASDAQ:KRUS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 7th. The company reported ($0.23) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.17) by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $73.46 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $72.98 million. Kura Sushi USA had a negative net margin of 1.37% and a negative return on equity of 0.63%. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted ($0.08) earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Kura Sushi USA, Inc. will post 0.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kura Sushi USA Company Profile

Kura Sushi USA, Inc operates Japanese‐style revolving sushi restaurants across the United States. The company's concept centers on delivering a modern sushi dining experience by combining fresh ingredients with automated conveyer belt and plate‐return systems. Guests can choose from a broad menu that includes nigiri, sashimi, maki rolls, tempura, udon noodles and chef‐inspired seasonal dishes, all served directly from the conveyor belt or ordered on tabletop touchscreens.

Each restaurant integrates patented technology to ensure food quality and operational efficiency.

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