Citigroup Raises Kura Sushi USA (NASDAQ:KRUS) Price Target to $78.00

Kura Sushi USA (NASDAQ:KRUS) had its target price increased by equities research analysts at Citigroup from $65.00 to $78.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. Citigroup’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 30.03% from the company’s current price.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Kura Sushi USA from $60.00 to $68.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Loop Capital set a $70.00 price objective on shares of Kura Sushi USA in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (e+)” rating on shares of Kura Sushi USA in a report on Monday, December 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $85.00 price objective on shares of Kura Sushi USA in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Kura Sushi USA from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Kura Sushi USA presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $77.00.

Kura Sushi USA Stock Down 17.8%

Shares of Kura Sushi USA stock traded down $13.01 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $59.98. 1,141,132 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 307,359. Kura Sushi USA has a 1 year low of $40.50 and a 1 year high of $95.98. The business has a fifty day moving average of $67.22 and a two-hundred day moving average of $61.15. The company has a market capitalization of $726.47 million, a P/E ratio of -180.95 and a beta of 1.65.

Kura Sushi USA (NASDAQ:KRUS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 7th. The company reported ($0.14) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.12) by ($0.02). Kura Sushi USA had a negative net margin of 1.37% and a negative return on equity of 0.63%. The firm had revenue of $80.02 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $77.22 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted ($0.14) EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Kura Sushi USA will post 0.22 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Kura Sushi USA news, insider Hajime Uba sold 9,874 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.93, for a total value of $720,110.82. Following the transaction, the insider owned 6,026 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $439,476.18. This represents a 62.10% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 2.28% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of KRUS. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its position in Kura Sushi USA by 18.2% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 3,983 shares of the company’s stock valued at $204,000 after buying an additional 613 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its position in Kura Sushi USA by 122.5% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 18,010 shares of the company’s stock valued at $922,000 after buying an additional 9,914 shares during the last quarter. Creative Planning acquired a new position in Kura Sushi USA in the second quarter valued at about $243,000. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its position in Kura Sushi USA by 18.7% in the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 7,240 shares of the company’s stock valued at $623,000 after buying an additional 1,139 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. acquired a new position in Kura Sushi USA in the second quarter valued at about $332,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.49% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Kura Sushi USA

Here are the key news stories impacting Kura Sushi USA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue beat and operational improvement — Kura reported $80.0M in Q2 sales, above expectations, and showed stronger sales growth and a smaller loss versus a year ago, which supports the growth story. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — DA Davidson issued a Buy rating and Zacks added KRUS to its Rank #1 (Strong Buy) list, giving institutional/quant support that could limit downside. Read More. | Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Technical tailwind — KRUS just printed a “golden cross” (50?day SMA crossing above 200?day SMA), a bullish technical signal that may attract momentum traders. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst positioning — Barclays raised its price target to $68 but kept an “equal weight” rating, signaling limited near-term upside from that shop. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Full disclosures and call materials available — Earnings press release and call transcript are posted for investors who want detail on margin drivers and guidance. Read More. | Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: CFO departure creates near?term uncertainty — The CFO will leave April 28 and the CEO will serve as interim CFO, a governance/transition risk that tends to depress sentiment. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: EPS miss and cautious guidance cited — The company missed consensus EPS by ~$0.02 and commentary described guidance as underwhelming, which prompted the intraday selloff despite revenue beat. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Financials still show pressure — KRUS remains unprofitable on the income statement (negative net margin/ROE), so sentiment is sensitive to small misses and exec changes. Read More.

Kura Sushi USA Company Profile

Kura Sushi USA, Inc operates Japanese?style revolving sushi restaurants across the United States. The company’s concept centers on delivering a modern sushi dining experience by combining fresh ingredients with automated conveyer belt and plate?return systems. Guests can choose from a broad menu that includes nigiri, sashimi, maki rolls, tempura, udon noodles and chef?inspired seasonal dishes, all served directly from the conveyor belt or ordered on tabletop touchscreens.

Each restaurant integrates patented technology to ensure food quality and operational efficiency.