Krispy Kreme, Inc. (NASDAQ:DNUT) Receives $4.52 Average Target Price from Brokerages

Shares of Krispy Kreme, Inc. (NASDAQ:DNUT) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the ten ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have issued a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $4.85.

A number of research firms have recently commented on DNUT. Zacks Research raised Krispy Kreme from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Krispy Kreme in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen raised Krispy Kreme from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, February 22nd. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “underweight” rating and issued a $3.00 target price on shares of Krispy Kreme in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Capital One Financial upgraded Krispy Kreme from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $6.00 target price for the company in a research report on Thursday.

Key Stories Impacting Krispy Kreme

Here are the key news stories impacting Krispy Kreme this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Krispy Kreme secured about $120 million in cash from two strategic deals, providing near‑term liquidity to fund its turnaround plan and lower financing risk — a clear financial positive for a company with thin cash metrics. Krispy Kreme nets $120M in cash from two deals as turnaround plan takes shape
• Positive Sentiment: Capital One upgraded DNUT to “overweight” with a $6.00 price target (implying ~85% upside), which can attract buyers and boost sentiment if other investors follow the call. Finviz (Capital One upgrade reported)
• Neutral Sentiment: Krispy Kreme launched a limited‑edition “Artemis II” / space‑themed doughnut tied to NASA’s Artemis II mission (available Mar 31–Apr 2). This is positive for short‑term traffic and brand visibility but is unlikely to move long‑term fundamentals materially. KRISPY KREME® Launches Artemis II Doughnut to Celebrate NASA’s Historic Deep Space Crewed Mission, Available March 31 – April 2
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional media coverage of themed product tie‑ins (space/Oreo and movie‑themed donuts) supports marketing momentum but represents low incremental revenue per share in the short term. Krispy Kreme Launches Artemis II Doughnut to Celebrate NASA’s Lunar Mission
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts still show caution—consensus ratings sit on the weaker side (reported “Reduce” consensus), and DNUT’s fundamentals remain challenged: low quick/current ratios, negative net margin and ROE, and a meaningful debt load. That combination keeps selling pressure despite tactical wins. Krispy Kreme, Inc. (NASDAQ:DNUT) Given Consensus Rating of “Reduce” by Analysts

Krispy Kreme Price Performance

Krispy Kreme stock opened at $3.23 on Thursday. Krispy Kreme has a 12-month low of $2.50 and a 12-month high of $5.73. The company has a current ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.40. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $3.30 and a 200-day moving average price of $3.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $556.21 million, a PE ratio of -1.07 and a beta of 1.27.

Krispy Kreme (NASDAQ:DNUT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.03 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $392.37 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $386.72 million. Krispy Kreme had a negative net margin of 33.87% and a negative return on equity of 3.66%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.01 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Krispy Kreme will post 0.07 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Krispy Kreme

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its position in shares of Krispy Kreme by 53.0% during the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 1,199,552 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,642,000 after acquiring an additional 415,416 shares during the period. XTX Topco Ltd raised its stake in shares of Krispy Kreme by 452.4% during the second quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 340,289 shares of the company’s stock valued at $990,000 after acquiring an additional 278,682 shares in the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Krispy Kreme by 78.9% in the second quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 3,007,345 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,751,000 after purchasing an additional 1,326,212 shares during the period. Divisadero Street Capital Management LP grew its stake in Krispy Kreme by 117.9% in the third quarter. Divisadero Street Capital Management LP now owns 1,089,341 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,216,000 after purchasing an additional 589,341 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC grew its stake in Krispy Kreme by 33.3% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 68,378 shares of the company’s stock worth $265,000 after purchasing an additional 17,071 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.72% of the company’s stock.

About Krispy Kreme

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc (NASDAQ: DNUT) is a global retailer and wholesaler renowned for its signature Original Glazed doughnut and a variety of other sweet treats. The company operates through a combination of company-owned stores, franchise outlets and strategic partnerships with supermarkets, convenience stores and other foodservice channels. In addition to its doughnut portfolio, Krispy Kreme offers freshly brewed coffee, assorted beverages and proprietary seasonal items designed to drive traffic and foster brand loyalty.

Founded in 1937 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, by Vernon Rudolph, Krispy Kreme has grown from a single local shop to a multinational brand.