Krispy Kreme, Inc. (NASDAQ:DNUT) Receives Average Rating of “Reduce” from Analysts

Shares of Krispy Kreme, Inc. (NASDAQ:DNUT) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Reduce” from the ten research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have given a hold recommendation and two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $4.5167.

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on DNUT. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Krispy Kreme in a report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Krispy Kreme from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Wall Street Zen raised Krispy Kreme from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, February 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an “underweight” rating and set a $3.00 price objective on shares of Krispy Kreme in a report on Tuesday, January 20th.

Krispy Kreme Stock Down 1.8%

Shares of NASDAQ DNUT opened at $3.75 on Friday. Krispy Kreme has a 12-month low of $2.50 and a 12-month high of $6.51. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $3.57 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $3.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $642.38 million, a PE ratio of -1.24 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a current ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31.

Krispy Kreme (NASDAQ:DNUT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.03 by $0.06. Krispy Kreme had a negative return on equity of 3.45% and a negative net margin of 33.87%.The firm had revenue of $392.37 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $386.72 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.01 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Krispy Kreme will post 0.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Krispy Kreme

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its holdings in Krispy Kreme by 53.0% in the 3rd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 1,199,552 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,642,000 after buying an additional 415,416 shares during the period. XTX Topco Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Krispy Kreme by 452.4% in the 2nd quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 340,289 shares of the company’s stock valued at $990,000 after acquiring an additional 278,682 shares during the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. increased its stake in shares of Krispy Kreme by 78.9% in the second quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 3,007,345 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,751,000 after acquiring an additional 1,326,212 shares during the period. Divisadero Street Capital Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Krispy Kreme during the second quarter worth $1,455,000. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Krispy Kreme during the second quarter valued at $80,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.72% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Krispy Kreme

Here are the key news stories impacting Krispy Kreme this week:

• Positive Sentiment: EPS and profit metrics beat expectations — Krispy Kreme reported $0.09 EPS vs. ~ $0.03 consensus, a meaningful beat that underpinned the rally after the release. Krispy Kreme (DNUT) Tops Q4 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Operational improvement: Adjusted EBITDA and cash flow strengthened — management highlighted $55.6M adjusted EBITDA and $45M cash from operations, signaling the turnaround is producing margin and cash benefits. Krispy Kreme Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Top‑line: revenue slightly beat Street (~$392.4M vs. estimates near $386–389M) but was down year‑over‑year — the beat came while management intentionally closed lower‑traffic distribution points as part of the turnaround. Krispy Kreme (NASDAQ:DNUT) Posts Better-Than-Expected Sales In Q4 CY2025
• Neutral Sentiment: Management commentary and guidance: the earnings call and slide deck emphasized strategic growth, unit rationalization and a constructive 2026 outlook — investors will watch execution and comps next year. Krispy Kreme, Inc. (DNUT) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP loss and weak profitability metrics remain — the company reported a GAAP net loss (Q4 ~$29.1M) and still shows a negative net margin and negative ROE, so profitability isn’t fully healed. Krispy Kreme Earnings Release and Transcript (MarketBeat)
• Negative Sentiment: Balance‑sheet and liquidity considerations — low current/quick ratios and meaningful leverage (debt/equity ~1.3) mean the company is still financially vulnerable if the turnaround stalls. WSJ: Krispy Kreme Revenue Falls as Chain Exits Underperforming Locations

Krispy Kreme Company Profile

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc (NASDAQ: DNUT) is a global retailer and wholesaler renowned for its signature Original Glazed doughnut and a variety of other sweet treats. The company operates through a combination of company-owned stores, franchise outlets and strategic partnerships with supermarkets, convenience stores and other foodservice channels. In addition to its doughnut portfolio, Krispy Kreme offers freshly brewed coffee, assorted beverages and proprietary seasonal items designed to drive traffic and foster brand loyalty.

Founded in 1937 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, by Vernon Rudolph, Krispy Kreme has grown from a single local shop to a multinational brand.