Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Makes New $1.57 Million Investment in National Beverage Corp. $FIZZ

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in National Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ:FIZZ) during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund bought 50,368 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,571,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. lifted its stake in National Beverage by 958.8% in the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 900 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 815 shares during the last quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in shares of National Beverage by 72.5% in the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 1,018 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 428 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new stake in National Beverage in the 3rd quarter valued at about $39,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of National Beverage by 213.5% in the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 1,066 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 726 shares during the period. Finally, Allworth Financial LP bought a new stake in National Beverage during the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. 23.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

National Beverage Stock Up 0.3%

FIZZ opened at $32.58 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $32.03 and its 200-day moving average price is $34.13. The company has a market cap of $3.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.62 and a beta of 0.78. National Beverage Corp. has a 52-week low of $30.01 and a 52-week high of $42.61.

National Beverage (NASDAQ:FIZZ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 1st. The company reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.47 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $297.12 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $294.81 million. National Beverage had a return on equity of 32.20% and a net margin of 15.56%.

National Beverage Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a special dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 30th. Investors of record on Monday, July 13th were paid a $3.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 13th.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FIZZ has been the topic of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings raised National Beverage from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, August 24th. UBS Group restated a “sell” rating and issued a $33.00 price target (down from $35.00) on shares of National Beverage in a report on Friday, June 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $33.00.

About National Beverage

National Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ: FIZZ) is a U.S.-based beverage company specializing in the development, marketing and production of nonalcoholic refreshment products. The company’s portfolio includes a range of sparkling waters, soft drinks and energy beverages designed for a variety of consumer tastes and dietary preferences. Through in-house bottling operations and strategic partnerships with co-packers, National Beverage manages production from flavor formulation to final packaging and distribution.

Founded in 1985, National Beverage has broadened its product lineup over the decades through both organic brand introductions and selective acquisitions.