Chuy’s Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHUY) Short Interest Down 16.0% in September

Chuy’s Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHUY) was the recipient of a large decrease in short interest in the month of September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totalling 462,200 shares, a decrease of 16.0% from the September 15th total of 550,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 463,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.0 days. Approximately 2.7% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Chuy’s Stock Up 0.0 %

Shares of NASDAQ:CHUY traded up $0.01 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $37.48. 1,224,000 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 255,606. Chuy’s has a 1-year low of $22.52 and a 1-year high of $39.40. The company has a market capitalization of $645.78 million, a P/E ratio of 22.18 and a beta of 1.77. The business’s 50 day moving average is $37.27 and its 200-day moving average is $32.02.

Chuy’s (NASDAQ:CHUY) last posted its earnings results on Friday, August 9th. The restaurant operator reported $0.59 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $0.01. Chuy’s had a return on equity of 13.23% and a net margin of 5.84%. The firm had revenue of $119.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $120.46 million. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Chuy’s will post 1.83 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CHUY has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Chuy’s in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. They issued a “hold” rating for the company. Benchmark lowered shares of Chuy’s from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $37.50 price target on the stock. in a research report on Monday, August 19th. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Chuy’s from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $38.00 to $24.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 11th. Wedbush reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $37.50 target price (down previously from $38.00) on shares of Chuy’s in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, Stephens reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $37.50 price target on shares of Chuy’s in a report on Monday, August 12th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $33.25.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chuy’s

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. First Eagle Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Chuy’s by 13.2% during the first quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 317,179 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $10,698,000 after acquiring an additional 37,076 shares during the last quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Chuy’s by 10.7% in the first quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. now owns 948,060 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $31,978,000 after acquiring an additional 91,612 shares during the period. Congress Asset Management Co. MA lifted its stake in shares of Chuy’s by 29.9% in the first quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. MA now owns 946,167 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $31,914,000 after acquiring an additional 217,838 shares during the period. Wasatch Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Chuy’s by 19.6% in the first quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 313,649 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $10,579,000 after acquiring an additional 51,352 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in Chuy’s by 19.4% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 341,602 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $8,854,000 after purchasing an additional 55,465 shares during the period. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Chuy’s

Chuy’s Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates full-service restaurants under the Chuy’s name in the United States. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.