Jack in the Box (NASDAQ:JACK) Trading 2.5% Higher – Should You Buy?

Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ:JACK)’s stock price was up 2.5% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $41.96 and last traded at $41.53. Approximately 136,054 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 74% from the average daily volume of 522,180 shares. The stock had previously closed at $40.53.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on JACK shares. StockNews.com raised Jack in the Box from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, December 20th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on Jack in the Box from $55.00 to $52.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, December 9th. Wedbush reduced their target price on shares of Jack in the Box from $60.00 to $50.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 18th. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $50.00 price target on shares of Jack in the Box in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on shares of Jack in the Box from $56.00 to $53.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Jack in the Box presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $59.88.

Jack in the Box Price Performance

The business’s 50-day moving average price is $46.40 and its 200-day moving average price is $48.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $798.02 million, a PE ratio of -21.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.92.

Jack in the Box Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 12th will be given a dividend of $0.44 per share. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.15%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 12th. Jack in the Box’s payout ratio is currently -90.26%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Sarah L. Super sold 1,688 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.52, for a total transaction of $68,397.76. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 16,815 shares in the company, valued at $681,343.80. This represents a 9.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Over the last three months, insiders sold 2,343 shares of company stock valued at $100,601. Insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Jack in the Box

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale purchased a new stake in shares of Jack in the Box in the third quarter valued at about $41,000. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. boosted its holdings in Jack in the Box by 172.3% in the 3rd quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. now owns 2,140 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $100,000 after purchasing an additional 1,354 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Jack in the Box during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $185,000. MML Investors Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Jack in the Box by 20.3% in the 3rd quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 4,852 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $226,000 after buying an additional 819 shares during the period. Finally, Selway Asset Management purchased a new stake in shares of Jack in the Box in the third quarter valued at approximately $228,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

About Jack in the Box

Jack in the Box Inc operates and franchises Jack in the Box and Del Taco quick-service restaurants in the United States. The company was founded in 1951 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.