Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (NASDAQ:CBRL) Shares Gap Up After Earnings Beat

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (NASDAQ:CBRL) shares gapped up prior to trading on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock had previously closed at $30.62, but opened at $34.00. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store shares last traded at $30.42, with a volume of 839,515 shares.

The restaurant operator reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.10) by $0.35. The company had revenue of $874.82 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $862.89 million. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store had a return on equity of 9.74% and a net margin of 0.49%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.38 EPS.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 10th will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 10th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store’s dividend payout ratio is presently 133.33%.

Key Headlines Impacting Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

Here are the key news stories impacting Cracker Barrel Old Country Store this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Truist raised its price target to $47 and kept a “buy” rating, implying ~55% upside vs. current levels — a clear positive analyst signal for investors. Truist lifts price target on Cracker Barrel to $47
• Positive Sentiment: Company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.25 (annualized yield ~3.3%), supporting income-oriented holders and providing a floor to equity value.
• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results beat headlines: EPS $0.25 vs. consensus (-$0.10) and revenue ~$874.8M vs. $862.9M est. — the beat reduces near-term downside risk from the quarter. CRACKER BARREL REPORTS SECOND QUARTER FISCAL 2026 RESULTS
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call and full transcripts are available for investors who want management commentary on comps, margins and the outlook. Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst writeups and metric breakdowns (Zacks, Yahoo Finance summaries) provide deeper detail on comps, margins and same‑store trends for investors doing due diligence. Here’s What Key Metrics Tell Us About Cracker Barrel Q2 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short‑interest data in filings appears anomalous/zeroed out and offers no clear signal to traders at this time.
• Negative Sentiment: Management updated FY2026 guidance with revenue shown roughly in a $3.2B–$3.3B band versus consensus near $3.3B — the cautious top‑line outlook tempers enthusiasm from the quarter’s beat. Q2 press release and outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage and opinion pieces (Seeking Alpha, WSJ) note that Cracker Barrel is still repairing its business after last year’s branding misstep and some analysts argue the stock still merits a downgrade despite the beat. Cracker Barrel Surprised In A Good Way, But Still Deserves A Downgrade Cracker Barrel Works to Repair Its Business

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Cracker Barrel Old Country Store from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday. Bank of America dropped their price objective on Cracker Barrel Old Country Store from $34.00 to $29.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 19th. UBS Group raised their target price on Cracker Barrel Old Country Store from $26.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday. Benchmark reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $37.25.

Insider Transactions at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

In other Cracker Barrel Old Country Store news, major shareholder Gmt Capital Corp sold 42,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.56, for a total value of $1,083,744.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 2,240,200 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $57,259,512. This represents a 1.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders have sold a total of 254,400 shares of company stock worth $6,661,464 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of CBRL. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in the third quarter worth $26,000. Assetmark Inc. lifted its holdings in Cracker Barrel Old Country Store by 517.3% in the 2nd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 500 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 419 shares in the last quarter. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Cracker Barrel Old Country Store during the fourth quarter worth approximately $35,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new stake in Cracker Barrel Old Country Store during the second quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, Byrne Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $51,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.01% of the company’s stock.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $686.14 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.97 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $30.85 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $36.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a current ratio of 0.51.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Company Profile

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc operates a distinctive combination of country-themed restaurants and retail stores across the United States. Since its founding in 1969, the company has focused on providing a nostalgic dining experience reminiscent of Southern hospitality, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with an emphasis on traditional comfort foods.

The restaurant segment offers an extensive menu featuring signature items such as buttermilk pancakes, country ham, biscuits and gravy, meatloaf and pot roast.