Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ:JACK) Plans $0.44 Quarterly Dividend

Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ:JACK) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, February 26th, Wall Street Journal reports. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 20th will be paid a dividend of 0.44 per share by the restaurant operator on Tuesday, April 8th. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.64%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 20th.

Jack in the Box has increased its dividend by an average of 0.8% annually over the last three years. Jack in the Box has a dividend payout ratio of 29.8% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect Jack in the Box to earn $5.97 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.76 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 29.5%.

Jack in the Box Stock Up 11.8 %

Shares of Jack in the Box stock opened at $37.94 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $715.40 million, a P/E ratio of -19.46, a PEG ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.94. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $39.55 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $44.56. Jack in the Box has a 12-month low of $32.69 and a 12-month high of $76.56.

Jack in the Box (NASDAQ:JACK) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 25th. The restaurant operator reported $1.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $469.44 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $470.47 million. Jack in the Box had a negative return on equity of 15.79% and a negative net margin of 2.34%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Jack in the Box will post 5.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Jack in the Box

In related news, SVP Sarah L. Super sold 1,688 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.52, for a total value of $68,397.76. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 16,815 shares in the company, valued at $681,343.80. This trade represents a 9.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders have sold a total of 2,190 shares of company stock worth $92,961 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 1.40% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

JACK has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Northcoast Research cut Jack in the Box from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on Jack in the Box from $55.00 to $45.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Guggenheim cut their target price on Jack in the Box from $95.00 to $60.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. StockNews.com lowered Jack in the Box from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 15th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on Jack in the Box from $52.00 to $40.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $49.88.

About Jack in the Box

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.