Lazard Asset Management LLC Reduces Stock Position in Kura Sushi USA, Inc. $KRUS

Key Points

• Lazard Asset Management cut its Kura Sushi USA position by 92.1% in the first quarter, selling 81,846 shares and retaining 7,026 shares worth approximately $490,000.
• Institutional ownership remains substantial at 65.49%, with several investors—including Sei Investments, Dimensional Fund Advisors and Stephens—adding to their positions.
• Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with a $69 price target. KRUS recently traded at $48.56 and reported quarterly EPS of $0.03, beating estimates, while revenue of $85.92 million slightly missed forecasts.

Lazard Asset Management LLC reduced its holdings in Kura Sushi USA, Inc. (NASDAQ:KRUS - Free Report) by 92.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 7,026 shares of the company's stock after selling 81,846 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC owned about 0.06% of Kura Sushi USA worth $490,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of KRUS. Sei Investments Co. grew its holdings in shares of Kura Sushi USA by 92.1% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 44,162 shares of the company's stock worth $3,082,000 after acquiring an additional 21,174 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in Kura Sushi USA by 15.4% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 187,906 shares of the company's stock worth $13,110,000 after purchasing an additional 25,031 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in shares of Kura Sushi USA by 6.7% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 15,822 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,104,000 after buying an additional 988 shares during the last quarter. Calamos Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kura Sushi USA in the 1st quarter worth $722,000. Finally, Stephens Inc. AR increased its holdings in Kura Sushi USA by 31.9% in the 1st quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 1,107,263 shares of the company's stock worth $77,276,000 after buying an additional 267,955 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.49% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have commented on KRUS. DA Davidson set a $65.00 target price on shares of Kura Sushi USA in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Wall Street Zen raised Kura Sushi USA from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, July 12th. Freedom Capital upgraded Kura Sushi USA to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Zacks Research cut shares of Kura Sushi USA from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Kura Sushi USA from $64.00 to $59.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $69.00.

Kura Sushi USA Price Performance

NASDAQ:KRUS opened at $48.56 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $590.00 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -269.76 and a beta of 1.33. Kura Sushi USA, Inc. has a 1 year low of $42.62 and a 1 year high of $87.99. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $49.74 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $58.47.

Kura Sushi USA (NASDAQ:KRUS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 7th. The company reported $0.03 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.05) by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $85.92 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $86.45 million. Kura Sushi USA had a negative net margin of 0.65% and a negative return on equity of 0.18%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Kura Sushi USA, Inc. will post -0.06 EPS for the current 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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