Franklin Resources Inc. Has $158,000 Holdings in Krispy Kreme, Inc. (NASDAQ:DNUT)

Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in Krispy Kreme, Inc. (NASDAQ:DNUT) by 30.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 14,467 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,395 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc.’s holdings in Krispy Kreme were worth $158,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. American Century Companies Inc. bought a new stake in Krispy Kreme in the second quarter valued at about $185,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in Krispy Kreme by 38.1% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,779,882 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,670,000 after acquiring an additional 1,042,345 shares in the last quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management acquired a new position in Krispy Kreme during the second quarter worth approximately $323,000. Sei Investments Co. bought a new position in Krispy Kreme during the second quarter worth $198,000. Finally, Gabelli Funds LLC lifted its position in Krispy Kreme by 180.0% during the second quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 70,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $753,000 after acquiring an additional 45,000 shares during the last quarter. 81.72% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DNUT has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Krispy Kreme from $14.00 to $13.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Krispy Kreme from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Krispy Kreme in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $14.00 price objective on the stock. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $15.56.

Krispy Kreme Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ DNUT opened at $9.73 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. Krispy Kreme, Inc. has a 52-week low of $9.18 and a 52-week high of $17.84. The company has a market cap of $1.65 billion, a PE ratio of 57.24, a PEG ratio of 4.21 and a beta of 1.34. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $10.67 and its 200-day moving average price is $10.85.

Krispy Kreme Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 22nd will be paid a $0.035 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 22nd. This represents a $0.14 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.44%. Krispy Kreme’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 82.35%.

Krispy Kreme Company Profile

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.