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

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on JACK shares. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of Jack in the Box from $70.00 to $57.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target on Jack in the Box from $70.00 to $65.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Wedbush reduced their price objective on Jack in the Box from $60.00 to $50.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on Jack in the Box from $51.00 to $46.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. Finally, 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Jack in the Box currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $59.88.

Jack in the Box Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $798.02 million, a PE ratio of -21.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.92. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $46.40 and a 200 day moving average price of $48.60.

Jack in the Box Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at Jack in the Box

In other news, SVP Sarah L. Super sold 1,688 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 directly owns 16,815 shares in the company, valued at $681,343.80. This represents a 9.12 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders have sold a total of 2,343 shares of company stock worth $100,601 in the last three months. Company 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 company. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale purchased a new position in shares of Jack in the Box in the 3rd quarter worth about $41,000. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Jack in the Box by 172.3% during the 3rd quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. now owns 2,140 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $100,000 after purchasing an additional 1,354 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Jack in the Box during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $185,000. MML Investors Services LLC raised its holdings in 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 buying an additional 819 shares during the period. Finally, Selway Asset Management acquired a new position in Jack in the Box during the third quarter valued at approximately $228,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.79% of the company’s stock.

Jack in the Box Company Profile

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.