Short Interest in Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ:JACK) Rises By 11.6%

Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ:JACK) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,890,000 shares, an increase of 11.6% from the January 15th total of 2,590,000 shares. Approximately 16.1% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 609,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.7 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

JACK has been the topic of several analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on shares of Jack in the Box from $55.00 to $47.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 21st. StockNews.com cut shares of Jack in the Box from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 15th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on shares of Jack in the Box from $52.00 to $40.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 10th. Truist Financial reduced their target price 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. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price objective on shares of Jack in the Box from $51.00 to $46.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 21st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $54.50.

Insider Activity

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. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 2,190 shares of company stock valued at $92,961. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Jack in the Box

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale purchased a new stake in shares of Jack in the Box during the 3rd quarter worth $41,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Jack in the Box by 96.7% during the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 899 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 442 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Jack in the Box by 229.7% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,055 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 735 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV raised its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 616 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its stake in Jack in the Box by 168.6% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,558 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 978 shares during the last quarter. 99.79% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Jack in the Box Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ JACK traded down $0.72 during trading on Monday, hitting $39.18. 536,546 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 497,542. The company has a market cap of $738.93 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -20.09, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.94. Jack in the Box has a 1 year low of $36.36 and a 1 year high of $77.50. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $40.57 and its 200 day moving average price is $45.24.

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.