RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:RICK) Short Interest Up 25.7% in March

RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:RICK) saw a significant growth in short interest in the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 1,209,464 shares, a growth of 25.7% from the February 26th total of 962,068 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 64,465 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 18.8 days. Currently, 17.4% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of RCI Hospitality in a report on Monday, December 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $98.00.

RCI Hospitality Trading Down 2.1%

RICK stock traded down $0.50 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $22.81. The company had a trading volume of 164,767 shares, compared to its average volume of 79,872. The stock has a market cap of $175.87 million, a PE ratio of 19.01 and a beta of 0.82. The business has a 50-day moving average of $23.22 and a 200-day moving average of $25.06. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. RCI Hospitality has a one year low of $20.76 and a one year high of $47.00.

RCI Hospitality (NASDAQ:RICK) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 19th. The restaurant operator reported ($0.63) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.81 by ($2.44). RCI Hospitality had a return on equity of 4.05% and a net margin of 3.87%.The firm had revenue of $70.93 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $69.80 million. Research analysts predict that RCI Hospitality will post 4.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

RCI Hospitality Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.08 per share. This is an increase from RCI Hospitality’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.07. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. RCI Hospitality’s payout ratio is 26.67%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On RCI Hospitality

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in shares of RCI Hospitality by 11.6% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 20,684 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $493,000 after buying an additional 2,142 shares during the period. XTX Topco Ltd increased its stake in RCI Hospitality by 15.0% in the fourth quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 10,335 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $246,000 after purchasing an additional 1,350 shares in the last quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL raised its holdings in shares of RCI Hospitality by 13.9% during the fourth quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL now owns 41,242 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $983,000 after purchasing an additional 5,046 shares during the period. Man Group plc boosted its position in shares of RCI Hospitality by 119.8% during the 4th quarter. Man Group plc now owns 14,759 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $352,000 after purchasing an additional 8,045 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Engineers Gate Manager LP bought a new stake in RCI Hospitality in the 4th quarter valued at about $364,000. 53.82% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About RCI Hospitality

RCI Hospitality Holdings, Inc operates as a diversified hospitality and entertainment company focused on the ownership and operation of adult nightclubs and themed sports bars throughout the United States and select international markets. The company’s U.S. Nightclub segment includes venues branded as Rick’s Cabaret, Club Onyx and various other upscale adult entertainment clubs, offering private dance experiences, VIP services and live performances. Its Restaurant & Bar segment operates Bombshells, a brunch-themed sports bar chain featuring chef-driven menus, craft cocktails and game-day viewing in a military-inspired setting.

In addition to its brick-and-mortar venues, RCI Hospitality deploys proprietary digital platforms for talent recruitment, training and scheduling, helping to streamline operations and drive customer engagement.