Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ:JACK) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ:JACK) have earned an average rating of “Hold” from the seventeen analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $54.50.

A number of research analysts have weighed in on JACK shares. Loop Capital decreased their target price on shares of Jack in the Box from $87.00 to $70.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 14th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $55.00 price objective on shares of Jack in the Box in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Jack in the Box from $53.00 to $45.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. StockNews.com cut shares of Jack in the Box from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 15th. Finally, Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Jack in the Box from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Sarah L. Super sold 1,688 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.52, for a total value of $68,397.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 16,815 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $681,343.80. This trade represents a 9.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders have sold 2,190 shares of company stock worth $92,961 over the last three months. Company insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Jack in the Box

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its holdings in Jack in the Box by 3.8% in the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 9,733 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $496,000 after purchasing an additional 358 shares during the period. KBC Group NV boosted its stake in shares of Jack in the Box by 99.5% in the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,235 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 616 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of Jack in the Box by 229.7% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,055 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 735 shares in the last quarter. MML Investors Services LLC increased its stake in shares of Jack in the Box by 20.3% during the third quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 4,852 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $226,000 after buying an additional 819 shares during the period. Finally, DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale acquired a new stake in Jack in the Box in the third quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

Jack in the Box Stock Up 2.6 %

Jack in the Box stock opened at $41.02 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $42.06 and a 200-day simple moving average of $46.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $773.64 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -21.04, a PEG ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.94. Jack in the Box has a 52-week low of $36.36 and a 52-week high of $79.28.

Jack in the Box Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 12th were given a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.29%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 12th. Jack in the Box’s dividend payout ratio is currently -90.26%.

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.