Marcus (NYSE:MCS) Director Diane Gershowitz Sells 50,000 Shares of Company Stock

Marcus Corporation (The) (NYSE:MCS) Director Diane Gershowitz sold 50,000 shares of Marcus stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.61, for a total transaction of $1,380,500.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 125,617 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,468,285.37. The trade was a 28.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Marcus Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of MCS traded up $0.41 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $28.21. The company had a trading volume of 256,069 shares, compared to its average volume of 204,722. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a current ratio of 0.44. The company has a market capitalization of $869.92 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.74 and a beta of 0.52. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $27.85 and a 200 day moving average price of $22.37. Marcus Corporation has a 52 week low of $12.85 and a 52 week high of $32.42.

Marcus (NYSE:MCS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The company reported $0.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.16. Marcus had a return on equity of 2.67% and a net margin of 2.87%.The business had revenue of $231.74 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $217.72 million. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Marcus Corporation will post 0.81 EPS for the current year.

Marcus Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 25th were given a $0.09 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 25th. This represents a $0.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. This is a boost from Marcus’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.08. Marcus’s payout ratio is presently 50.70%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on MCS shares. Benchmark raised their price objective on shares of Marcus from $22.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Wedbush upped their target price on shares of Marcus from $23.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Zacks Research raised shares of Marcus from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. B. Riley Financial lowered shares of Marcus from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $27.00 to $29.00 in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Marcus from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Marcus presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $32.25.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Marcus

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. WINTON GROUP Ltd bought a new position in Marcus during the 2nd quarter valued at about $290,000. Susquehanna International Group LLP grew its stake in shares of Marcus by 183.1% in the second quarter. Susquehanna International Group LLP now owns 47,094 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,105,000 after acquiring an additional 30,457 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marcus during the first quarter valued at approximately $844,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its position in Marcus by 49.2% during the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 60,497 shares of the company’s stock valued at $935,000 after purchasing an additional 19,947 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in Marcus by 1.8% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 89,332 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,534,000 after purchasing an additional 1,556 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.57% of the company’s stock.

Marcus Company Profile

Marcus Corporation is a diversified hospitality and entertainment company headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 1935, the company operates through two primary business segments: movie theatres and hotels and resorts.

Through Marcus Theatres, the company owns and operates cinemas under the Marcus Theatres and Movie Tavern brands, offering first-run films, premium viewing experiences, food and beverage service, and other entertainment amenities. Its theatres are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, with additional locations in other regions.

Through Marcus Hotels & Resorts, the company owns, manages, or develops hotels, resorts, and related hospitality properties.