Jack In The Box Inc. (NASDAQ:JACK) Given Average Rating of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Jack In The Box has a consensus analyst rating of "Hold" from 17 brokerages, with an average 1-year price target of about $15.84.
• Recent analyst moves were mixed: Stifel raised its target to $15 and kept a hold rating, while Oppenheimer and Morgan Stanley lowered targets and Citigroup cut its objective to $14.
• The company’s latest quarterly results beat EPS estimates at $0.76 per share, but revenue fell 24.5% year over year; meanwhile, a director bought shares, and institutional investors own nearly all of the stock.

Shares of Jack In The Box Inc. (NASDAQ:JACK - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of "Hold" by the seventeen ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, twelve have issued a hold recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $15.8438.

Several brokerages recently issued reports on JACK. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Jack In The Box from $10.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Oppenheimer reduced their price target on Jack In The Box from $27.00 to $22.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Jack In The Box from $19.00 to $15.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $15.00 price objective on Jack In The Box in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Citigroup cut their price objective on Jack In The Box from $15.00 to $14.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 14th.

Insider Transactions at Jack In The Box

In other news, Director Guillermo Diaz, Jr. purchased 5,962 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 28th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $11.51 per share, for a total transaction of $68,622.62. Following the acquisition, the director owned 20,692 shares in the company, valued at $238,164.92. This trade represents a 40.48% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 1.40% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Jack In The Box

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of JACK. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in shares of Jack In The Box by 45.5% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 389,327 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $7,697,000 after purchasing an additional 121,752 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. bought a new stake in shares of Jack In The Box during the 4th quarter valued at about $2,043,000. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its stake in Jack In The Box by 1,990.4% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 117,457 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $2,226,000 after purchasing an additional 111,838 shares during the period. Maxi Investments CY Ltd acquired a new stake in Jack In The Box during the fourth quarter worth approximately $2,263,000. Finally, Ruffer LLP bought a new stake in Jack In The Box in the fourth quarter worth approximately $3,223,000. Institutional investors own 99.79% of the company's stock.

Jack In The Box Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ JACK opened at $15.20 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $13.15 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $15.29. The stock has a market cap of $289.86 million, a P/E ratio of 8.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.38. Jack In The Box has a 52-week low of $8.91 and a 52-week high of $25.34.

Jack In The Box (NASDAQ:JACK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 13th. The restaurant operator reported $0.76 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.02. Jack In The Box had a net margin of 2.82% and a negative return on equity of 6.34%. The company had revenue of $254.26 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $256.55 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.20 earnings per share. Jack In The Box's revenue was down 24.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Jack In The Box will post 3.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Jack In The Box Company Profile

Jack in the Box NASDAQ: JACK is a publicly traded quick-service restaurant company best known for its Jack in the Box brand of fast-food restaurants. Founded in 1951 by Robert O. Peterson and headquartered in San Diego, California, the company has operated for decades as a franchisor and operator of drive-thru and dine-in restaurants. Its business model combines company-owned locations with franchise arrangements, and the company focuses on building brand recognition through menu innovation, marketing and service convenience.

The company’s core offerings center on a broad fast-food menu that includes hamburgers (notably the Jumbo Jack), tacos, breakfast items, sandwiches, salads, sides and specialty limited-time items.

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