Texas Roadhouse (NASDAQ:TXRH) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

Texas Roadhouse (NASDAQ:TXRH) was downgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report released on Saturday.

A number of other analysts also recently commented on TXRH. Barclays set a $188.00 target price on Texas Roadhouse in a report on Friday, February 20th. Citigroup decreased their price target on Texas Roadhouse from $190.00 to $184.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 20th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Texas Roadhouse from $208.00 to $202.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Texas Roadhouse in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Texas Roadhouse from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and thirteen have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $196.55.

Texas Roadhouse Price Performance

NASDAQ TXRH opened at $171.54 on Friday. Texas Roadhouse has a 1 year low of $148.73 and a 1 year high of $199.99. The company has a market capitalization of $11.35 billion, a PE ratio of 28.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a fifty day moving average of $182.52 and a 200 day moving average of $173.69.

Texas Roadhouse (NASDAQ:TXRH) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The restaurant operator reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.53 by ($0.25). The company had revenue of $1.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.50 billion. Texas Roadhouse had a return on equity of 27.88% and a net margin of 6.90%.Texas Roadhouse’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.73 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Texas Roadhouse will post 7.23 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Gregory N. Moore sold 1,700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.59, for a total value of $291,703.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Donna E. Epps sold 850 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.45, for a total value of $146,582.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,892 shares in the company, valued at $843,625.40. This trade represents a 14.80% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 12,550 shares of company stock worth $2,353,936. 0.50% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Texas Roadhouse

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in TXRH. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its holdings in Texas Roadhouse by 528.2% during the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 3,172,738 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $594,603,000 after purchasing an additional 2,667,716 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors grew its position in shares of Texas Roadhouse by 580.2% in the third quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 2,236,885 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $371,658,000 after purchasing an additional 1,908,033 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Texas Roadhouse by 85.7% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,343,000 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $439,102,000 after purchasing an additional 1,081,413 shares in the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Texas Roadhouse during the third quarter worth about $157,310,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP raised its position in shares of Texas Roadhouse by 228.4% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,329,052 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $220,623,000 after purchasing an additional 924,306 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.82% of the company’s stock.

Texas Roadhouse Company Profile

Texas Roadhouse, Inc is a casual dining restaurant chain specializing in hand‐cut steaks, fall‐off‐the‐bone ribs, chicken, seafood and house specialties. Each restaurant features a Western‐themed décor, open kitchens and a signature line dance presentation of fresh, made‐from‐scratch sides and breads. The company emphasizes an energetic dining experience, focusing on hospitality, value and a family‐friendly environment.

The concept was created in 1993 by founder Kent Taylor, who sought to combine high‐quality steaks with an approachable, community‐oriented atmosphere.