StockNews.com Begins Coverage on Nathan’s Famous (NASDAQ:NATH)

StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Nathan’s Famous (NASDAQ:NATH – Get Rating) in a research report report published on Thursday. The firm issued a strong-buy rating on the restaurant operator’s stock.

Separately, TheStreet upgraded shares of Nathan’s Famous from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 14th.

Nathan’s Famous Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of Nathan’s Famous stock opened at $74.43 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $303.67 million, a P/E ratio of 16.50 and a beta of 0.20. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $74.60 and a 200 day simple moving average of $68.71. Nathan’s Famous has a 12-month low of $45.50 and a 12-month high of $81.75.

Nathan’s Famous (NASDAQ:NATH – Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 2nd. The restaurant operator reported $0.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $26.15 million during the quarter. Nathan’s Famous had a net margin of 14.45% and a negative return on equity of 37.19%.

Nathan’s Famous Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 21st were given a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.69%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 17th. This is a boost from Nathan’s Famous’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. Nathan’s Famous’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 44.35%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nathan’s Famous

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Gabelli Funds LLC increased its position in Nathan’s Famous by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 173,000 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $11,015,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL grew its position in shares of Nathan’s Famous by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 268,814 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $15,744,000 after buying an additional 2,613 shares during the period. First Manhattan Co. grew its position in shares of Nathan’s Famous by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 32,418 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $2,064,000 after buying an additional 189 shares during the period. UBS Group AG grew its position in shares of Nathan’s Famous by 38.5% during the 2nd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 630 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 175 shares during the period. Finally, Dorsey Wright & Associates acquired a new stake in shares of Nathan’s Famous during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 35.97% of the company’s stock.

About Nathan’s Famous

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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.