Analysts Set Jack In The Box Inc. (NASDAQ:JACK) Price Target at $25.60

Shares of Jack In The Box Inc. (NASDAQ:JACK) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the twenty-one brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $25.60.

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on Jack In The Box from $20.00 to $18.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $20.00 price objective on shares of Jack In The Box in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Mizuho set a $20.00 target price on shares of Jack In The Box in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Northcoast Research upgraded shares of Jack In The Box from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Jack In The Box from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Steven Piano sold 1,491 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.08, for a total transaction of $28,448.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 27,053 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $516,171.24. This represents a 5.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Richard D. Cook sold 1,787 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.08, for a total value of $34,095.96. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 27,193 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $518,842.44. This represents a 6.17% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 12,462 shares of company stock valued at $247,352. 1.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its position in Jack In The Box by 192.9% during the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 744,141 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $14,712,000 after purchasing an additional 490,071 shares during the last quarter. Windward Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Jack In The Box in the 4th quarter worth about $7,394,000. Nantahala Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Jack In The Box by 44.3% during the 4th quarter. Nantahala Capital Management LLC now owns 865,990 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $16,411,000 after buying an additional 265,990 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Jack In The Box by 519.5% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 241,444 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $4,773,000 after acquiring an additional 202,469 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ruffer LLP bought a new position in shares of Jack In The Box in the 4th quarter valued at about $3,223,000. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Jack In The Box Stock Performance

Shares of Jack In The Box stock opened at $21.34 on Friday. Jack In The Box has a fifty-two week low of $13.99 and a fifty-two week high of $41.09. The company has a market capitalization of $407.59 million, a P/E ratio of -5.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a fifty day moving average of $20.80 and a 200 day moving average of $19.13.

Jack In The Box (NASDAQ:JACK) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The restaurant operator reported $0.30 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.46 by ($0.16). The business had revenue of $326.19 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $324.23 million. Jack In The Box had a negative net margin of 5.51% and a negative return on equity of 9.23%. Jack In The Box’s revenue was down 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.16 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Jack In The Box will post 5.33 EPS for the current year.

About Jack In The Box

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.