Jack in the Box (JACK - Free Report) , a Zacks Rank # 5 (Strong Sell) is a restaurant company that operates and franchises Jack in the Box restaurants, one of the nation's largest hamburger chains, and Qdoba Mexican Eats, a leader in fast-casual dining. As the first major hamburger chain to develop and expand the concept of drive-thru dining, Jack in the Box has always emphasized on-the-go convenience, with approximately half-billion guests served annually buying food at the drive-thru or for take-out.
Recent Earnings Data
On November 30th, the company reported Q4 17 results that missed both the Zacks consensus earnings and revenue estimates for the second consecutive quarter. Further, this was their third miss of both top and bottom line expectations three out of the last four quarters. The company saw year over year declines in the following; earnings from continuing operations -7.1%, sales -14.8%, Jack in the Box same store sales -2.0%, and Qdoba same store sales -4.0%.
In May, management began to look into its options regarding Qdoba restaurants; which included selling the chain outright. Just before the last earnings report it was rumored that JACK had found a buyer, Apollo Global Management LLC, for a price of $300 million. But the poor earnings data, and management writing down the value of Qdoba, put the deal in limbo. Further, after the earnings announcement, management commented that that they would not give guidance for FY 18 until they figured out its plan for Qdoba. This created uncertainty for investors, which caused the stock price to drop.
Management’s Take
According to Lenny Comma, Chairman and CEO, “Our fourth quarter operating results concluded a challenging year for both brands. Our key initiatives in 2018 will be focused on regaining momentum in a highly competitive environment. We continue to make significant progress on our Jack in the Box refranchising initiative, with the sale of 60 restaurants in the fourth quarter and 178 during the fiscal year. We currently have signed non-binding letters of intent with franchisees to sell 32 additional restaurants, and now anticipate the Jack in the Box franchise mix to approach the high end of our previous expected range.”
Price and Earnings Consensus Graph
As you can see in the chart below, the misses in three out of the last four quarters has muted the company’s growth, and future earnings estimates have begun to fall.
Zacks Names "Single Best Pick to Double"
From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.
It’s a little-known chemical company that’s up 65% over last year, yet still dirt cheap. With unrelenting demand, soaring 2022 earnings estimates, and $1.5 billion for repurchasing shares, retail investors could jump in at any time.
This company could rival or surpass other recent Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Boston Beer Company which shot up +143.0% in little more than 9 months and NVIDIA which boomed +175.9% in one year.
Free: See Our Top Stock and 4 Runners Up >>
Jack in the Box (JACK - Free Report) , a Zacks Rank # 5 (Strong Sell) is a restaurant company that operates and franchises Jack in the Box restaurants, one of the nation's largest hamburger chains, and Qdoba Mexican Eats, a leader in fast-casual dining. As the first major hamburger chain to develop and expand the concept of drive-thru dining, Jack in the Box has always emphasized on-the-go convenience, with approximately half-billion guests served annually buying food at the drive-thru or for take-out.
Recent Earnings Data
On November 30th, the company reported Q4 17 results that missed both the Zacks consensus earnings and revenue estimates for the second consecutive quarter. Further, this was their third miss of both top and bottom line expectations three out of the last four quarters. The company saw year over year declines in the following; earnings from continuing operations -7.1%, sales -14.8%, Jack in the Box same store sales -2.0%, and Qdoba same store sales -4.0%.
In May, management began to look into its options regarding Qdoba restaurants; which included selling the chain outright. Just before the last earnings report it was rumored that JACK had found a buyer, Apollo Global Management LLC, for a price of $300 million. But the poor earnings data, and management writing down the value of Qdoba, put the deal in limbo. Further, after the earnings announcement, management commented that that they would not give guidance for FY 18 until they figured out its plan for Qdoba. This created uncertainty for investors, which caused the stock price to drop.
Management’s Take
According to Lenny Comma, Chairman and CEO, “Our fourth quarter operating results concluded a challenging year for both brands. Our key initiatives in 2018 will be focused on regaining momentum in a highly competitive environment. We continue to make significant progress on our Jack in the Box refranchising initiative, with the sale of 60 restaurants in the fourth quarter and 178 during the fiscal year. We currently have signed non-binding letters of intent with franchisees to sell 32 additional restaurants, and now anticipate the Jack in the Box franchise mix to approach the high end of our previous expected range.”
Price and Earnings Consensus Graph
As you can see in the chart below, the misses in three out of the last four quarters has muted the company’s growth, and future earnings estimates have begun to fall.
Zacks Names "Single Best Pick to Double"
From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.
It’s a little-known chemical company that’s up 65% over last year, yet still dirt cheap. With unrelenting demand, soaring 2022 earnings estimates, and $1.5 billion for repurchasing shares, retail investors could jump in at any time.
This company could rival or surpass other recent Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Boston Beer Company which shot up +143.0% in little more than 9 months and NVIDIA which boomed +175.9% in one year.
Free: See Our Top Stock and 4 Runners Up >>
Get the latest research report on JACK - FREE