Short Interest in Nathan’s Famous, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATH) Decreases By 14.6%

Nathan’s Famous, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATH) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 21,100 shares, a decrease of 14.6% from the February 28th total of 24,700 shares. Currently, 0.7% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 12,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 1.7 days.

Nathan’s Famous Price Performance

NATH stock opened at $95.85 on Thursday. Nathan’s Famous has a 1 year low of $64.02 and a 1 year high of $104.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $391.93 million, a PE ratio of 16.53 and a beta of 0.15. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $92.90 and a 200-day simple moving average of $86.40.

Nathan’s Famous (NASDAQ:NATH) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The restaurant operator reported $1.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Nathan’s Famous had a negative return on equity of 96.05% and a net margin of 16.19%.

Nathan’s Famous Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 28th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th were issued a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 18th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.09%. Nathan’s Famous’s payout ratio is 34.48%.

Institutional Trading of Nathan’s Famous

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC purchased a new position in Nathan’s Famous in the fourth quarter worth approximately $397,000. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Nathan’s Famous by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 63,252 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $5,118,000 after purchasing an additional 2,011 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of Nathan’s Famous by 125.5% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,744 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $384,000 after purchasing an additional 2,640 shares during the last quarter. Ellsworth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Nathan’s Famous in the 4th quarter valued at about $589,000. Finally, Barclays PLC lifted its position in Nathan’s Famous by 271.3% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 4,084 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $330,000 after buying an additional 2,984 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 66.54% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Nathan’s Famous from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th.

Nathan’s Famous Company Profile

Nathan’s Famous, Inc engages in the operation of franchised fast-food units. It is involved in the licensing, wholesaling, and retailing of products marketed under the Nathan’s Famous brand. The firm operates through the following business segments: Branded Product Program, Product Licensing, Restaurant Operations, and Corporate.