Krispy Kreme Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NASDAQ:DNUT)

Krispy Kreme, Inc. (NASDAQ:DNUT) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Friday. Traders acquired 6,231 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 158% compared to the average volume of 2,417 call options.

Insider Buying and Selling at Krispy Kreme

In other news, Director Bernardo Hees purchased 235,875 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $3.39 per share, for a total transaction of $799,616.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 1,229,037 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,166,435.43. This trade represents a 23.75% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In the last quarter, insiders purchased 880,190 shares of company stock worth $2,973,833. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Krispy Kreme

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Arizona State Retirement System boosted its stake in shares of Krispy Kreme by 11.9% during the 3rd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 27,771 shares of the company’s stock worth $107,000 after acquiring an additional 2,961 shares during the last quarter. R Squared Ltd increased its stake in shares of Krispy Kreme by 33.4% in the 3rd quarter. R Squared Ltd now owns 14,216 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,000 after purchasing an additional 3,556 shares in the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG raised its holdings in Krispy Kreme by 4.5% in the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 83,611 shares of the company’s stock worth $336,000 after purchasing an additional 3,638 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its holdings in Krispy Kreme by 1,229.5% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 8,469 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 7,832 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its position in Krispy Kreme by 21.2% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 47,672 shares of the company’s stock valued at $192,000 after purchasing an additional 8,351 shares in the last quarter. 81.72% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Krispy Kreme Stock Up 2.6%

Shares of DNUT traded up $0.11 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $4.31. The company had a trading volume of 5,963,521 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,429,418. The stock has a market capitalization of $743.04 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.44 and a beta of 1.27. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $3.54 and a 200-day moving average price of $3.64. Krispy Kreme has a 52-week low of $2.50 and a 52-week high of $5.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 0.42.

Krispy Kreme (NASDAQ:DNUT) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported ($0.05) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.03) by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $367.03 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $359.42 million. Krispy Kreme had a negative return on equity of 4.34% and a negative net margin of 33.36%.The company’s quarterly revenue was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted ($0.05) EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Krispy Kreme will post -0.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on DNUT shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Krispy Kreme in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Capital One Financial raised shares of Krispy Kreme from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $6.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 26th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Krispy Kreme from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 15th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Krispy Kreme from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, May 17th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $4.63.

Krispy Kreme Company Profile

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc (NASDAQ: DNUT) is a global retailer and wholesaler renowned for its signature Original Glazed doughnut and a variety of other sweet treats. The company operates through a combination of company-owned stores, franchise outlets and strategic partnerships with supermarkets, convenience stores and other foodservice channels. In addition to its doughnut portfolio, Krispy Kreme offers freshly brewed coffee, assorted beverages and proprietary seasonal items designed to drive traffic and foster brand loyalty.

Founded in 1937 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, by Vernon Rudolph, Krispy Kreme has grown from a single local shop to a multinational brand.