News

Shares of fast-food company Jack in the Box (NASDAQ: JACK) popped on Tuesday after the company reported financial results for its fiscal second quarter of 2024. As of 11:30 a.m. ET, Jack in the Box stock was up 5%, but it had been up about 10% earlier in the day.

Here's why the stock is giving back some gains

The fiscal second quarter for Jack in the Box ended on April 14. And after looking at the numbers, I'm not surprised to see the stock give back some of its early gains this morning. Sales weren't great and management made adjustments to its full-year guidance -- mostly modest downward adjustments.

In Q2, Jack in the Box's revenue was down about 8% as same-store sales fell for both its Jack in the Box chain and its smaller Del Taco chain.

However, I believe investors are responding favorably because, somehow, Jack in the Box did a commendable job at preserving its profits -- as a chain predominately located on the West Coast where labor inflation is higher, that's impressive. The company had Q2 diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.26, down just a penny from the prior-year period.

Could this be a "value trap"?

For its fiscal 2024, Jack in the Box expects adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of $325 million to $330 million. Considering its enterprise value is currently about $2.7 billion, the stock is trading at quite the bargain valuation.

However, value investors should consider that Jack in the Box stock has long traded at a bargain valuation but shares haven't budged in over 10 years. While the company is doing some good things and the stock is cheap, investors need to ask what this company could do differently to create shareholder value because what's it's done in the past hasn't caused shares to rise.

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Jon Quast has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.