RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:RICK) Short Interest Down 24.4% in December

RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:RICK) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 925,216 shares, a decrease of 24.4% from the December 15th total of 1,224,205 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 120,374 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 7.7 days. Currently, 11.7% of the company’s stock are sold short. Currently, 11.7% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 120,374 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 7.7 days.

Institutional Trading of RCI Hospitality

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of RCI Hospitality by 2.9% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 516,933 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $15,772,000 after buying an additional 14,603 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in RCI Hospitality by 16.3% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 186,066 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $7,093,000 after acquiring an additional 26,110 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in RCI Hospitality by 4.2% in the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 178,588 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $5,449,000 after acquiring an additional 7,140 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its stake in RCI Hospitality by 1,375.2% during the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 79,320 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $2,420,000 after purchasing an additional 73,943 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tudor Investment Corp ET AL boosted its stake in RCI Hospitality by 58.7% during the 3rd quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL now owns 36,196 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,104,000 after purchasing an additional 13,392 shares during the last quarter. 53.82% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of RCI Hospitality in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, RCI Hospitality presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $98.00.

RCI Hospitality Stock Down 5.2%

RICK stock traded down $1.38 on Friday, reaching $25.36. 80,960 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 85,606. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $24.54 and a 200-day simple moving average of $30.16. The company has a market cap of $221.14 million, a P/E ratio of 13.63 and a beta of 0.90. RCI Hospitality has a one year low of $21.88 and a one year high of $57.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 0.92 and a quick ratio of 0.83.

RCI Hospitality Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 15th were given a $0.07 dividend. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 15th. RCI Hospitality’s payout ratio is currently 15.05%.

RCI Hospitality Company Profile

RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc operates as a diversified hospitality and entertainment company focused on the ownership and operation of adult nightclubs and themed sports bars throughout the United States and select international markets. The company’s U.S. Nightclub segment includes venues branded as Rick’s Cabaret, Club Onyx and various other upscale adult entertainment clubs, offering private dance experiences, VIP services and live performances. Its Restaurant & Bar segment operates Bombshells, a brunch-themed sports bar chain featuring chef-driven menus, craft cocktails and game-day viewing in a military-inspired setting.

In addition to its brick-and-mortar venues, RCI Hospitality deploys proprietary digital platforms for talent recruitment, training and scheduling, helping to streamline operations and drive customer engagement.