Krispy Kreme Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NASDAQ:DNUT)

Krispy Kreme, Inc. (NASDAQ:DNUT) was the target of some unusual options trading on Tuesday. Stock investors bought 5,012 call options on the company. This is an increase of 454% compared to the typical volume of 905 call options.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have issued reports on DNUT. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Krispy Kreme from $14.00 to $12.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Krispy Kreme from $14.00 to $13.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $15.25.

Krispy Kreme Trading Down 26.1 %

DNUT traded down $2.38 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $6.75. 5,046,394 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,842,096. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.11, a P/E/G ratio of 3.24 and a beta of 1.34. Krispy Kreme has a 52 week low of $6.35 and a 52 week high of $17.84. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $9.17 and a two-hundred day moving average of $10.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 0.35 and a quick ratio of 0.28.

Krispy Kreme Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 23rd will be issued a $0.035 dividend. This represents a $0.14 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.08%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 23rd. Krispy Kreme’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 82.35%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in DNUT. Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss LLC bought a new position in Krispy Kreme in the fourth quarter worth about $10,591,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its position in shares of Krispy Kreme by 13.1% during the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 166,373 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,652,000 after purchasing an additional 19,295 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. lifted its position in Krispy Kreme by 339.1% during the fourth quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 168,820 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,676,000 after buying an additional 130,374 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Krispy Kreme by 49.0% in the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 24,094 shares of the company’s stock worth $239,000 after purchasing an additional 7,927 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in Krispy Kreme by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 48,683 shares of the company’s stock valued at $483,000 after purchasing an additional 1,707 shares during the last quarter. 81.72% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Krispy Kreme

Krispy Kreme, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, produces doughnuts in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada, Japan, and internationally. The company operates through three segments: U.S., International, and Market Development. The company offers doughnut experiences through hot light theater and fresh shops, delivered fresh daily branded cabinets and merchandising units within grocery and convenience stores, quick service restaurants, club memberships, drug stores, and ecommerce, as well as through its branded sweet treat line comprising Krispy Kreme branded sweet treats.