Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:BLMN) Shares Acquired by Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc.

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:BLMN) by 12.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,414,415 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 159,356 shares during the quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned 1.67% of Bloomin’ Brands worth $17,270,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. KBC Group NV grew its stake in Bloomin’ Brands by 79.1% during the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 3,371 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 1,489 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC boosted its position in shares of Bloomin’ Brands by 4.4% during the third quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 1,411,200 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $23,327,000 after buying an additional 59,418 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Bloomin’ Brands by 176.0% during the third quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 167,495 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $2,769,000 after purchasing an additional 106,804 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Bloomin’ Brands during the third quarter worth approximately $339,000. Finally, Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new stake in Bloomin’ Brands in the third quarter worth about $1,064,000.

Bloomin’ Brands Stock Up 1.9 %

NASDAQ:BLMN opened at $8.09 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.46. The firm has a market capitalization of $687.09 million, a P/E ratio of -73.54 and a beta of 2.04. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $10.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $13.36. Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. has a 12-month low of $7.75 and a 12-month high of $29.10.

Bloomin’ Brands Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 26th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.42%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 11th. Bloomin’ Brands’s payout ratio is presently -40.27%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on BLMN. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Bloomin’ Brands from $10.00 to $9.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Bank of America downgraded shares of Bloomin’ Brands from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $18.00 to $13.00 in a research report on Monday, January 27th. UBS Group lowered their target price on Bloomin’ Brands from $16.00 to $13.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on shares of Bloomin’ Brands from $16.00 to $12.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on Bloomin’ Brands from $13.00 to $10.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and ten have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Bloomin’ Brands has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $14.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Patrick M. Hafner sold 9,555 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.32, for a total value of $79,497.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 3.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Bloomin’ Brands Company Profile

Bloomin’ Brands, Inc engages in the acquisition, operation, design, and development of restaurant concepts. It operates through the U.S. and International geographical segments. The U.S. segment operates in the USA and Puerto Rico. The International segment operates in Brazil, South Korea, Hong Kong, and China.