RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:RICK) Short Interest Update

RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:RICK) saw a significant increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 1,209,464 shares, an increase of 25.7% from the February 26th total of 962,068 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 64,465 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 18.8 days. Currently, 17.4% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On RCI Hospitality

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its holdings in shares of RCI Hospitality by 62.0% during the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 847 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 324 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC raised its stake in RCI Hospitality by 1,256.9% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,954 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $60,000 after purchasing an additional 1,810 shares in the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue acquired a new position in RCI Hospitality in the fourth quarter valued at about $54,000. State of Wyoming bought a new stake in RCI Hospitality during the fourth quarter worth about $67,000. Finally, Brighton Jones LLC bought a new stake in RCI Hospitality during the fourth quarter worth about $211,000. 53.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

RCI Hospitality Stock Down 2.1%

RICK stock opened at $22.81 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $175.87 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.01 and a beta of 0.82. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $23.19 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $24.98. RCI Hospitality has a fifty-two week low of $20.76 and a fifty-two week high of $47.00.

RCI Hospitality (NASDAQ:RICK) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 19th. The restaurant operator reported ($0.63) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.81 by ($2.44). RCI Hospitality had a net margin of 3.87% and a return on equity of 4.05%. The business had revenue of $70.93 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $69.80 million. On average, equities analysts anticipate that RCI Hospitality will post 4.55 earnings per share for the current year.

RCI Hospitality Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th were given a dividend of $0.08 per share. This is an increase from RCI Hospitality’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.07. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 16th. RCI Hospitality’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.67%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of RCI Hospitality in a report 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 data from MarketBeat, RCI Hospitality currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $98.00.

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.