Marcus (NYSE:MCS) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Marcus (NYSE:MCS) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report issued on Monday,Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other analysts have also weighed in on the stock. B. Riley Financial lowered shares of Marcus from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and raised their price target for the company from $27.00 to $29.00 in a report on Friday, July 31st. Zacks Research cut shares of Marcus from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Barrington Research set a $33.00 price objective on Marcus in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Wedbush increased their price objective on Marcus from $23.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Marcus from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $32.25.

Marcus Stock Up 0.9%

Shares of NYSE:MCS opened at $28.90 on Monday. Marcus has a 12 month low of $12.88 and a 12 month high of $32.42. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $28.20 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $23.96. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The firm has a market cap of $890.96 million, a P/E ratio of 40.70 and a beta of 0.58.

Marcus (NYSE:MCS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $0.51 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.35 by $0.16. Marcus had a net margin of 2.87% and a return on equity of 2.67%. The firm had revenue of $231.74 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $217.72 million. As a group, research analysts forecast that Marcus will post 0.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marcus Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 25th were given a dividend of $0.09 per share. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 25th. This is a boost from Marcus’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.08. Marcus’s dividend payout ratio is currently 50.70%.

Insider Transactions at Marcus

In other news, Director Diane M. Gershowitz sold 50,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, September 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.61, for a total value of $1,380,500.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 125,617 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,468,285.37. This trade represents a 28.47% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 16.53% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Marcus

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MCS. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in Marcus in the second quarter valued at approximately $6,481,000. Heartland Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Marcus by 24.4% during the 1st quarter. Heartland Advisors Inc. now owns 255,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,378,000 after acquiring an additional 50,000 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Marcus during the 1st quarter worth $844,000. Susquehanna International Group LLP grew its holdings in Marcus by 183.1% during the 2nd quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP now owns 47,094 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,105,000 after acquiring an additional 30,457 shares during the period. Finally, Range Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marcus during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,697,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.57% of the company’s stock.

Marcus Company Profile

Marcus Corporation (NYSE: MCS) is an entertainment and hospitality company headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its principal businesses are conducted through Marcus Theatres and Marcus Hotels & Resorts.

Marcus Theatres operates movie theaters in the United States, primarily across the Midwest, under brands that include Marcus Theatres and Movie Tavern. Its theater operations offer film screenings, reserved seating, premium viewing formats, food and beverage service, and other cinema-related experiences.

Marcus Hotels & Resorts owns, manages, or operates hotels, resorts, restaurants, and related hospitality facilities in the United States.