J & J Snack Foods Corp. (NASDAQ:JJSF) Short Interest Update

J & J Snack Foods Corp. (NASDAQ:JJSF) saw a large decrease in short interest in December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 719,265 shares, a decrease of 18.9% from the December 15th total of 886,411 shares. Currently, 4.8% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 200,229 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.6 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 200,229 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.6 days. Currently, 4.8% of the company’s shares are sold short.

J & J Snack Foods Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of JJSF traded down $1.27 during trading on Monday, reaching $97.10. 223,899 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 186,290. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $91.07 and a 200-day simple moving average of $99.96. The stock has a market cap of $1.84 billion, a PE ratio of 28.99 and a beta of 0.34. J & J Snack Foods has a twelve month low of $80.67 and a twelve month high of $146.67.

J & J Snack Foods (NASDAQ:JJSF) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 17th. The company reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.24 by $0.34. The firm had revenue of $410.24 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $424.08 million. J & J Snack Foods had a net margin of 4.14% and a return on equity of 8.73%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.60 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that J & J Snack Foods will post 4.75 EPS for the current year.

J & J Snack Foods Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 6th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 16th were issued a $0.80 dividend. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 16th. J & J Snack Foods’s payout ratio is currently 95.52%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

JJSF has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Benchmark cut their price objective on shares of J & J Snack Foods from $150.00 to $130.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of J & J Snack Foods from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of J & J Snack Foods in a report on Monday, December 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, J & J Snack Foods presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $132.50.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Kathleen E. Ciaramello purchased 540 shares of J & J Snack Foods stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 20th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $90.56 per share, for a total transaction of $48,902.40. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 1,013 shares in the company, valued at approximately $91,737.28. The trade was a 114.16% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 20.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On J & J Snack Foods

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of JJSF. Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its stake in shares of J & J Snack Foods by 962.0% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 107,202 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,301,000 after purchasing an additional 97,108 shares during the period. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd acquired a new position in J & J Snack Foods during the 3rd quarter worth $7,045,000. Ranger Investment Management L.P. increased its holdings in J & J Snack Foods by 52.4% during the 2nd quarter. Ranger Investment Management L.P. now owns 200,540 shares of the company’s stock worth $22,743,000 after purchasing an additional 68,916 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in J & J Snack Foods by 19.9% during the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 404,461 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,865,000 after purchasing an additional 67,028 shares during the period. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its position in J & J Snack Foods by 3.6% in the 2nd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,688,261 shares of the company’s stock valued at $200,143,000 after purchasing an additional 58,917 shares in the last quarter. 76.04% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About J & J Snack Foods

J & J Snack Foods (NASDAQ: JJSF) is a U.S.-based manufacturer and distributor of branded snack foods and frozen beverages. Headquartered in Pennsauken, New Jersey, the company develops, produces and markets a broad array of proprietary and licensed products for retail, concession and foodservice customers. Its offerings span soft pretzels, frozen novelties, real Italian ice, churros and packaged beverages under well-known names such as ICEE, SuperPretzel, Luigi’s and ChurroMan.

Founded in 1971 by Gerald B.