Russell Investments Group Ltd. Has $721,000 Stock Holdings in Marcus Corporation (The) $MCS

Key Points

• Russell Investments Group Ltd. has significantly reduced its stake in Marcus Corporation by 33.8%, now owning approximately 43,232 shares valued at $721,000.
• In the first quarter, several hedge funds increased their investments in Marcus, including GAMMA Investing LLC, which raised its stake by an astonishing 1,529.9%.
• Marcus Corporation recently raised its quarterly dividend to $0.08 per share, reflecting a 2.1% yield, and reported earnings exceeding consensus estimates with a net margin of 1.91%.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. cut its holdings in shares of Marcus Corporation (The) (NYSE:MCS - Free Report) by 33.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 43,232 shares of the company's stock after selling 22,043 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned about 0.14% of Marcus worth $721,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MCS. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Marcus by 0.8% during the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 95,932 shares of the company's stock worth $1,601,000 after purchasing an additional 778 shares during the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Marcus by 2,908.9% during the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 2,377 shares of the company's stock worth $51,000 after buying an additional 2,298 shares in the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its position in Marcus by 38.6% during the 1st quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 8,700 shares of the company's stock worth $145,000 after buying an additional 2,424 shares in the last quarter. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Marcus by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. Mesirow Financial Investment Management Inc. now owns 208,170 shares of the company's stock worth $3,474,000 after acquiring an additional 3,437 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Marcus in the 1st quarter valued at about $76,000. 81.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Marcus Trading Down 1.3%

Marcus stock traded down $0.20 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $15.16. 109,261 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 206,619. The stock has a market capitalization of $474.66 million, a PE ratio of 33.72, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $16.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $16.91. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. Marcus Corporation has a 52 week low of $14.09 and a 52 week high of $23.16.

Marcus (NYSE:MCS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 1st. The company reported $0.23 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.19 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $206.04 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $192.79 million. Marcus had a return on equity of 4.28% and a net margin of 1.91%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Marcus Corporation will post 0.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marcus Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.08 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 25th. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. This is an increase from Marcus's previous quarterly dividend of $0.07. Marcus's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 71.11%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Barrington Research restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $25.00 price objective on shares of Marcus in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Wall Street Zen cut Marcus from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 15th. Wedbush initiated coverage on Marcus in a research note on Friday, July 18th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $24.00 price target on the stock. Finally, B. Riley began coverage on Marcus in a research report on Friday, May 16th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $24.00 price objective for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and three have given a Buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $24.50.

About Marcus

The Marcus Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates movie theatres, and hotels and resorts in the United States. It operates a family entertainment center and multiscreen motion picture theatres under the Big Screen Bistro, Big Screen Bistro Express, BistroPlex, and Movie Tavern by Marcus brand names.