Vantage Consulting Group Inc Acquires New Holdings in Potbelly Co. (NASDAQ:PBPB)

Vantage Consulting Group Inc bought a new stake in Potbelly Co. (NASDAQ:PBPB) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 164,875 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,553,000. Potbelly makes up about 14.8% of Vantage Consulting Group Inc’s holdings, making the stock its 4th largest holding. Vantage Consulting Group Inc owned 0.55% of Potbelly at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in PBPB. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in shares of Potbelly by 122.6% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 67,053 shares of the company’s stock worth $559,000 after purchasing an additional 36,930 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Potbelly during the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,332,000. Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new position in Potbelly in the 4th quarter worth $520,000. Barclays PLC lifted its position in shares of Potbelly by 247.8% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 39,780 shares of the company’s stock worth $332,000 after purchasing an additional 28,342 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hodges Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Potbelly by 42.1% during the fourth quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. now owns 539,915 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,086,000 after buying an additional 159,900 shares during the last quarter. 72.60% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Potbelly Stock Performance

NASDAQ PBPB opened at $9.34 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $279.08 million, a P/E ratio of 7.47 and a beta of 1.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06. Potbelly Co. has a twelve month low of $6.28 and a twelve month high of $13.48. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $11.38 and its 200 day simple moving average is $9.85.

Analyst Ratings Changes

PBPB has been the topic of several research reports. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Potbelly from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $16.00 price objective on shares of Potbelly in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Finally, William Blair reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of Potbelly in a report on Thursday, March 20th.

Insider Activity

In other news, major shareholder David Nierenberg bought 7,600 shares of Potbelly stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 7th. The shares were bought at an average price of $9.23 per share, for a total transaction of $70,148.00. Following the purchase, the insider now owns 101,998 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $941,441.54. This trade represents a 8.05 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 9.10% of the company’s stock.

Potbelly Company Profile

Potbelly Corporation, through its subsidiaries, owns, operates, and franchises Potbelly sandwich shops in the United States. The company was formerly known as Potbelly Sandwich Works, Inc and changed its name to Potbelly Corporation in 2002. Potbelly Corporation was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.