Stock Traders Purchase High Volume of Jack In The Box Call Options (NASDAQ:JACK)

Jack In The Box Inc. (NASDAQ:JACK) saw some unusual options trading on Friday. Stock traders bought 3,438 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 59% compared to the typical volume of 2,164 call options.

Jack In The Box Price Performance

JACK traded up $0.24 during trading on Friday, hitting $15.40. The stock had a trading volume of 57,235 shares, compared to its average volume of 831,097. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $16.26 and a 200-day moving average price of $14.08. Jack In The Box has a one year low of $8.91 and a one year high of $23.86. The firm has a market cap of $295.35 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.97, a P/E/G ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 1.38.

Jack In The Box (NASDAQ:JACK) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 12th. The restaurant operator reported $0.96 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.88 by $0.08. Jack In The Box had a negative return on equity of 6.33% and a net margin of 2.84%.The firm had revenue of $257.66 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $264.60 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.02 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 22.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Jack In The Box will post 3.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

JACK has been the subject of several analyst reports. Oppenheimer decreased their target price on shares of Jack In The Box from $27.00 to $22.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on shares of Jack In The Box from $17.00 to $12.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 15th. Guggenheim cut shares of Jack In The Box from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $15.00 price objective on shares of Jack In The Box in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Jack In The Box from $14.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 13th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Jack In The Box currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $17.22.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Jack In The Box

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Allworth Financial LP raised its stake in Jack In The Box by 322.6% in the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,475 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 1,126 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE grew its position in shares of Jack In The Box by 96.7% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,420 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 698 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new position in shares of Jack In The Box during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in shares of Jack In The Box by 3,604.0% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,852 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 1,802 shares during the period. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new position in shares of Jack In The Box during the second quarter worth approximately $48,000. 99.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Jack In The Box

Jack in the Box (NASDAQ: JACK) is a publicly traded quick-service restaurant company best known for its Jack in the Box brand of fast-food restaurants. Founded in 1951 by Robert O. Peterson and headquartered in San Diego, California, the company has operated for decades as a franchisor and operator of drive-thru and dine-in restaurants. Its business model combines company-owned locations with franchise arrangements, and the company focuses on building brand recognition through menu innovation, marketing and service convenience.

The company’s core offerings center on a broad fast-food menu that includes hamburgers (notably the Jumbo Jack), tacos, breakfast items, sandwiches, salads, sides and specialty limited-time items.