Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (NASDAQ:CBRL) Shares Gap Up Following Strong Earnings

Shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (NASDAQ:CBRL) gapped up before the market opened on Wednesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $45.48, but opened at $47.57. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store shares last traded at $46.6240, with a volume of 566,905 shares changing hands.

The restaurant operator reported $0.99 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.17 by $0.82. Cracker Barrel Old Country Store had a return on equity of 2.78% and a net margin of 0.79%.The company had revenue of $849.34 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $844.99 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.74 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

Key Stories Impacting Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

Here are the key news stories impacting Cracker Barrel Old Country Store this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings exceeded expectations. Cracker Barrel reported adjusted earnings of $0.99 per share, compared with the Zacks consensus estimate of $0.20 and $0.74 a year earlier. The company also reported fiscal fourth-quarter profit of $12.2 million, or $0.54 per share, versus $6.75 million, or $0.30 per share, in the prior-year quarter. Cracker Barrel Q4 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue also topped forecasts. Fiscal fourth-quarter revenue was $849.34 million, ahead of the approximately $845 million analyst estimate. Although revenue declined 2.2% year over year, the earnings performance and management’s comments on improving operating and financial metrics supported the recovery narrative. Cracker Barrel Earnings Report
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts viewed recent trends as evidence of a potential recovery. UBS cited fourth-quarter trends and the fiscal 2027 outlook as pointing toward recovery, adding to investor optimism following the earnings release. UBS Says Q4 Trends and Fiscal 2027 Outlook Point to Recovery
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical momentum improved. CBRL shares moved above their 200-day moving average, a development that can attract momentum-oriented investors, though it does not change the company’s underlying fundamentals. Cracker Barrel Shares Cross Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average
• Negative Sentiment: Fiscal 2027 revenue guidance was cautious. Management projected revenue of $3.3 billion to $3.4 billion, compared with analyst expectations near $3.4 billion. The range implies limited growth visibility and could temper enthusiasm if the company does not deliver further traffic or margin improvement. Cracker Barrel Fiscal 2026 Results and Fiscal 2027 Outlook

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on CBRL shares. Zacks Research raised Cracker Barrel Old Country Store from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store from $34.00 to $40.00 in a research report on Monday, June 15th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store from $37.00 to $46.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Cracker Barrel Old Country Store from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 13th. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store from $34.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $49.43.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CBRL. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store during the second quarter worth $11,152,000. Meros Investment Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store during the 2nd quarter worth about $8,492,076. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in the 2nd quarter valued at about $7,444,000. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $4,854,000. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in shares of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store by 55.0% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 153,397 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $4,312,000 after acquiring an additional 54,431 shares during the period. 96.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Stock Performance

The stock’s fifty day moving average is $53.91 and its 200-day moving average is $41.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The stock has a market cap of $1.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.30 and a beta of 1.19.

About Cracker Barrel Old Country Store

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc operates a chain of full-service restaurants and retail stores under the Cracker Barrel brand. Its restaurants offer Southern-inspired, homestyle meals, including breakfast served throughout the day, lunch, dinner and seasonal menu items.

The company’s adjoining country stores sell a variety of merchandise, including home décor, apparel, gifts, toys, games, candy, music and food products. Cracker Barrel’s locations are designed around a nostalgic country-store and roadside dining experience, with many restaurants featuring front porches and rocking chairs.

Founded in 1969 by Dan Evins, the company opened its first location in Lebanon, Tennessee.