Lazard Asset Management LLC Purchases 14,684 Shares of Nathan’s Famous, Inc. $NATH

Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Nathan’s Famous, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATH) by 559.6% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 17,308 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after acquiring an additional 14,684 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Nathan’s Famous were worth $1,743,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp acquired a new stake in Nathan’s Famous during the first quarter worth $3,022,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its stake in Nathan’s Famous by 8.7% in the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 154,356 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $15,548,000 after acquiring an additional 12,300 shares during the period. Gabelli Funds LLC raised its position in Nathan’s Famous by 9.2% in the first quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 187,000 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $18,837,000 after purchasing an additional 15,800 shares in the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL boosted its holdings in Nathan’s Famous by 6.7% during the first quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 291,086 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $29,321,000 after purchasing an additional 18,250 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. acquired a new position in shares of Nathan’s Famous in the 1st quarter worth approximately $521,000. 66.54% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Nathan’s Famous Price Performance

NATH stock opened at $98.50 on Tuesday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $100.48 and a 200 day moving average price of $100.50. Nathan’s Famous, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $88.67 and a fifty-two week high of $113.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $403.85 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.31 and a beta of 0.29.

Nathan’s Famous (NASDAQ:NATH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 9th. The restaurant operator reported $0.68 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $35.07 million for the quarter. Nathan’s Famous had a negative return on equity of 179.01% and a net margin of 12.35%.

Nathan’s Famous Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Monday, June 22nd were issued a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 22nd. Nathan’s Famous’s payout ratio is currently 41.24%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Nathan’s Famous in a research report on Friday, July 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, Nathan’s Famous presently has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

Nathan’s Famous Company Profile

Nathan’s Famous Inc is a quick-service restaurant company known for its signature all-beef hot dogs and classic American fast-food offerings. The company operates and franchises a network of dining outlets under the Nathan’s Famous brand, serving items such as hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, french fries and specialty sides. In addition to its restaurant business, Nathan’s Famous markets frozen and refrigerated products to retail and foodservice customers across North America.

The company traces its origins to 1916, when founder Nathan Handwerker opened a modest walk-up stand on Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York.