Marshall Wace LLP Boosts Stake in Potbelly Co. (NASDAQ:PBPB)

Marshall Wace LLP increased its position in shares of Potbelly Co. (NASDAQ:PBPB - Free Report) by 758.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 195,775 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 172,969 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP owned approximately 0.65% of Potbelly worth $1,844,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Potbelly by 28.8% during the fourth quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 13,400 shares of the company's stock valued at $124,000 after acquiring an additional 3,000 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC lifted its holdings in shares of Potbelly by 9.3% in the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 43,480 shares of the company's stock worth $410,000 after buying an additional 3,700 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its position in shares of Potbelly by 50.6% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 12,883 shares of the company's stock worth $121,000 after buying an additional 4,328 shares in the last quarter. Tectonic Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Potbelly by 5.4% during the fourth quarter. Tectonic Advisors LLC now owns 100,547 shares of the company's stock valued at $947,000 after buying an additional 5,194 shares during the period. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Potbelly by 19.6% in the fourth quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 38,242 shares of the company's stock valued at $360,000 after acquiring an additional 6,258 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 72.60% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Potbelly

In other Potbelly news, major shareholder David Nierenberg acquired 22,169 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 28th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $9.36 per share, with a total value of $207,501.84. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 124,167 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,162,203.12. This trade represents a 21.73 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 10.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PBPB has been the topic of a number of research reports. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Potbelly from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th. William Blair reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Potbelly in a report on Thursday, March 20th. Finally, Benchmark reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $16.00 price objective on shares of Potbelly in a research note on Friday, March 7th.

Potbelly Stock Up 4.8 %

Shares of PBPB stock traded up $0.40 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $8.70. 79,981 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 218,735. The stock's fifty day moving average is $9.37 and its two-hundred day moving average is $9.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 0.49 and a quick ratio of 0.43. Potbelly Co. has a 52-week low of $6.28 and a 52-week high of $13.48. The stock has a market cap of $262.35 million, a P/E ratio of 6.97 and a beta of 1.38.

Potbelly Company Profile

Potbelly Corporation, through its subsidiaries, owns, operates, and franchises Potbelly sandwich shops in the United States. The company was formerly known as Potbelly Sandwich Works, Inc and changed its name to Potbelly Corporation in 2002. Potbelly Corporation was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.