Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ:JACK) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ:JACK) saw a significant increase in short interest in December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,930,000 shares, an increase of 10.9% from the December 15th total of 1,740,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 591,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.3 days. Currently, 10.6% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Wedbush cut their target price on 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. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on Jack in the Box from $52.00 to $40.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Barclays raised their price target on Jack in the Box from $46.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Guggenheim lowered their price target on Jack in the Box from $95.00 to $60.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on Jack in the Box from $55.00 to $47.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, October 21st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $57.76.

Jack in the Box Stock Down 2.2 %

NASDAQ JACK traded down $0.86 during trading on Friday, reaching $38.66. 609,625 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 599,440. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $43.72 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $47.31. Jack in the Box has a 1-year low of $36.36 and a 1-year high of $81.01.

Jack in the Box Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 12th were issued a dividend of $0.44 per share. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.55%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 12th. Jack in the Box’s payout ratio is -90.26%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Jack in the Box

In other Jack in the Box news, SVP Sarah L. Super sold 1,688 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.52, for a total transaction of $68,397.76. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 16,815 shares in the company, valued at $681,343.80. This trade represents a 9.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders have sold a total of 2,343 shares of company stock worth $100,601 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Jack in the Box

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale acquired a new stake in Jack in the Box during the third quarter valued at approximately $41,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in 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 valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 735 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. boosted its holdings in Jack in the Box by 172.3% during the third 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 bought a new position in shares of Jack in the Box in the third quarter valued at approximately $185,000. Finally, MML Investors Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Jack in the Box by 20.3% in the third quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 4,852 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $226,000 after acquiring an additional 819 shares during the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.