3 Soaring Restaurant Stocks Likely to Break Past 52-Week Highs
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Cracker Barrel: So far this year, shares of the company have gained 15.5% compared with the industry's rise of 0.3%. Closing at $61.08 in the last trading session, the stock stands 6.6% below its 52-week high of $65.43. Cracker Barrel is gaining traction through menu innovation, digital upgrades and targeted remodels. Its back-of-house optimization initiative is streamlining operations to improve margins. A growing focus on off-premise sales is also lifting performance. In the fiscal third quarter 2025, comparable restaurant sales rose 1% year over year, marking the fourth straight quarter of positive comps, driven primarily by a 4.9% menu price increase.In the past 30 days, earnings estimates for fiscal 2025 and 2026 have witnessed upward revisions of 18.5% and 12.5% to $3.20 and $3.52 per share, respectively. The company currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Red Robin: The company's stock has seen a turbulent ride in 2025, posting a modest 5.2% year-to-date gain. However, momentum has sharply shifted in the past three months, with shares surging 64%, a striking contrast to the industry's 3.2% decline. The stock closed at $5.79 in the last trading session, below its 52-week high of $7.05.The company has been benefiting from menu innovation, improved hospitality standards and the revamped loyalty program. Also, strong progress in restaurant-level profitability and disciplined cost management bodes well. With internal execution strengthening, the company expects the progress to continue in the upcoming periods.In the past 30 days, the estimate for the 2025 loss per share has narrowed to $1.71 from $2. The company flaunts a Zacks Rank #1 at present.Shake Shack: The company's stock has witnessed a gain of 8.3% so far this year. In the past three months, the stock has jumped 46.9%. The stock closed at $140.60 in the last trading session, below its 52-week high of $141.06.The company is benefiting from enhanced operations, menu innovation and store openings. Also, emphasis on digital initiatives and licensed business bodes well. Management remains optimistic about the licensing segment, citing strong global partner support and significant room for continued growth. Development efforts for 2025 are moving faster than initially expected, with Shake Shack planning to open 45-50 company-operated Shacks this year.In the past 60 days, earnings estimates for fiscal 2025 and 2026 have witnessed upward revisions of 1.5% and 4.2% to $1.34 and $1.71 per share, respectively. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (CBRL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (RRGB) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Shake Shack, Inc. (SHAK) : Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
Zacks Investment Research

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
VIV vs. TU: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?
Investors interested in stocks from the Diversified Communication Services sector have probably already heard of Telefonica Brasil (VIV) and Telus (TU). But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now? Let's take a closer look. We have found that the best way to discover great value opportunities is to pair a strong Zacks Rank with a great grade in the Value category of our Style Scores system. The Zacks Rank favors stocks with strong earnings estimate revision trends, and our Style Scores highlight companies with specific traits. Right now, Telefonica Brasil is sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy), while Telus has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). The Zacks Rank favors stocks that have recently seen positive revisions to their earnings estimates, so investors should rest assured that VIV has an improving earnings outlook. But this is just one piece of the puzzle for value investors. Value investors analyze a variety of traditional, tried-and-true metrics to help find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels. Our Value category highlights undervalued companies by looking at a variety of key metrics, including the popular P/E ratio, as well as the P/S ratio, earnings yield, cash flow per share, and a variety of other fundamentals that have been used by value investors for years. VIV currently has a forward P/E ratio of 16.19, while TU has a forward P/E of 21.74. We also note that VIV has a PEG ratio of 0.74. This figure is similar to the commonly-used P/E ratio, with the PEG ratio also factoring in a company's expected earnings growth rate. TU currently has a PEG ratio of 4.99. Another notable valuation metric for VIV is its P/B ratio of 1.57. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. By comparison, TU has a P/B of 2.13. Based on these metrics and many more, VIV holds a Value grade of A, while TU has a Value grade of C. VIV sticks out from TU in both our Zacks Rank and Style Scores models, so value investors will likely feel that VIV is the better option right now. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Telefonica Brasil S.A. (VIV) : Free Stock Analysis Report TELUS Corporation (TU) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Big Tech Earnings Coming Up: Spotlight on Mag 7 ETFs
The second-quarter earnings season has turned into high gear, and the so-called 'Magnificent 7" companies are in focus. Four of the 'Magnificent 7' members — Microsoft MSFT, Meta Platforms META, Apple AAPL and Amazon AMZN — are slated to report this week, accounting for almost a third of the S&P 500 second-quarter earnings of the 'Mag 7' companies are expected to be up 14% from the same period last year on 11.9% higher revenues. These expectations are a blend of actual results from Alphabet GOOGL and Tesla TSLA and estimates for the remaining five, of which four are on deck to report this week. Microsoft and Meta Platforms will report after market close on July 30, while Apple and Amazon will report on July 31. NVIDIA is likely to report later next month. The whole group has led the market's rebound from the April lows to new all-time highs. Only Apple is the laggard, as the company has not yet reaped the benefits of AI. Other members of the 'Magnificent 7' are leaders in the AI space and are actively investing in setting up datacenters and related infrastructure that will enable them to run the large-language models (read: Mag 7 ETFs Surge: Will the Rally Keep Rolling?).MicrosoftMicrosoft has an Earnings ESP of -0.64% and a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). According to our methodology, the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they're reported with our Earnings ESP saw no earnings estimate revision over the past 30 days for the second quarter of fiscal 2025. Its earnings track record is impressive, with the four-quarter earnings surprise being 5.21%, on average. The Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates earnings growth of 13.6% and revenue growth of 13.9% from the year-ago quarter. The world's largest software company will continue to grow as artificial intelligence applications drive more cloud infrastructure usage. Microsoft's Azure cloud business is benefiting from the company's partnership with AI leader Street is clearly bullish on the world's largest software company heading into the results, with an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.23 made by 47 brokerage firms. Out of them, 39 are Strong Buy and five are Buy. Strong Buy and Buy, respectively, account for 82.98% and 10.64% of all recommendations. The average price target for Microsoft comes to $552.35, ranging from a low of $475.00 to a high of $ analysts have also raised the target price on Microsoft. Evercore ISI raised its price target to $545.00 from $515.00, citing that the company's momentum in Azure and AI will continue to drive "durable double-digit top and bottom line growth.' Wedbush lifted the price target to $6000. According to Wedbush, the company "is just hitting its next phase of monetization on the AI front," thanks to the adoption of Copilot, its chatbot, and the cloud-computing platform Azure (read: ETFs to Surge as Microsoft Tops $3.5T, Reclaims Top Spot).Meta PlatformsMeta Platforms has an Earnings ESP of +2.91% and a Zacks Rank #1. The social media giant saw a negative earnings estimate revision of five cents for the second quarter over the past seven days. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the yet-to-be-reported quarter indicates substantial year-over-year earnings growth of 12.98%. Revenues are expected to increase 14.77% year over year. Meta Platforms delivered an earnings surprise of 17.30%, on average, in the last four quarters. Meta currently has a Wall Street analyst recommendation of 1.35 made by 55 brokerage firms. Of these, 45 are Strong Buy and three are Buy. Strong Buy and Buy, respectively, account for 81.82% and 5.45% of all recommendations. Based on short-term price targets offered by 52 analysts, the average price target for Meta Platforms comes to $756.13, ranging from a low of $566.00 to a high of $ AI strategy now serves as the backbone of its business transformation. The company has now committed $60–70 billion in capital expenditure for this year, with the lion's share earmarked for AI infrastructure. This includes cutting-edge data centers like Prometheus and Hyperion, as well as the deployment of NVIDIA's Grace Hopper Superchip. These bold investments are already delivering results across Meta's platforms. The 30% adoption of Advantage+ is driving a 5% boost in Reels conversion rates. AI-driven recommendations have lifted time spent on Facebook by 7% and on Threads by a remarkable 35%. Instagram Reels engagement is up 24%, fueled by improved algorithmic world's largest social media platform projects revenues in the range of $42.5-$45.5 billion for the second quarter. AppleApple has an Earnings ESP of +3.52% and a Zacks Rank #3. Apple saw a positive earnings estimate revision of a penny over the past 30 days for the fiscal third quarter of 2025. The iPhone maker has a strong track record of positive earnings surprises. It delivered an average earnings surprise of 4.68% in the trailing four quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates a modest year-over-year increase of 1.43% for earnings and 3.67% for tech giant currently has a Wall Street analyst recommendation of 2.04 made by 37 brokerage firms. Of these, 18 are Strong Buy and three are Buy. Strong Buy and Buy respectively account for 48.65% and 8.11% of all recommendations. Based on short-term price targets offered by 33 analysts, the average price target for Apple comes to $231.52. The forecasts range from a low of $139.00 to a high of $ the last earnings call, the iPhone maker guided 'low to mid-single digit' sales growth for the fiscal third quarter. Chief executive Tim Cook warned that Apple is likely to face a $900 million headwind as a result of tariffs. He added that it is 'very difficult' to predict beyond June due to uncertainties surrounding the U.S.-China trade policy. AmazonAmazon has an Earnings ESP of +7.37% and a Zacks Rank #1. The company saw a positive earnings estimate revision of a penny over the past seven days for the second quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate indicates a year-over-year earnings increase of 8.13% and substantial revenue growth of 9.67% for the to-be-reported quarter. Additionally, Amazon's earnings surprise history is impressive, with the four-quarter average surprise being 20.68%. Amazon currently has a Wall Street analyst recommendation of 1.15 made by 55 brokerage firms. Of these, 48 are Strong Buy and six are Buy. Strong Buy and Buy respectively account for 87.27% and 10.91% of all recommendations. Based on short-term price targets offered by 53 analysts, the average price target for Amazon comes to $254.38, ranging from a low of $195.00 to a high of $305.00. Amazon continues to dominate the e-commerce business and is expanding its footprint in cloud computing, advertising and various other sectors. The world's largest online retailer projected revenues of $159-$164 billion for the second quarter of 2025. Blockbuster Prime Day Event sales are likely to boost revenues for the company. Like other tech companies, Amazon is ramping up investments in data centers, chips and the power needed for AI workloads. It is also investing in its own computer chips and those developed by NVIDIA. However, CFO Brian Olsavsky, on the last earnings call, issued a cautious outlook due to uncertain consumer demand in the face of President Trump's shifting tariff policies. ETFs to Tap Given this, investors may want to invest in these stocks through ETFs. Below, we have highlighted some ETFs with the largest exposure to Mag Magnificent Seven ETF (MAGS): It is the first-ever ETF offering investors equal-weight exposure to the Magnificent 7 stocks. MicroSectors FANG+ ETN (FNGS): This ETN is linked to the performance of the NYSE FANG+ Index, which is equal-dollar weighted and designed to provide exposure to a group of highly traded growth stocks of next-generation technology and tech-enabled companies. The note accounts for a 10% share in each of the seven stocks. MicroSectors FANG+ ETN has a Zacks ETF Rank #3 (see: all the Technology ETFs here).iShares Top 20 U.S. Stocks ETF (TOPT): It offers exposure to the potential growth of mega-cap stocks, which may benefit from their scale and resources. The in-focus four firms account for a combined 38% share. TOPT has a Zacks ETF Rank #2. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Inc. (AMZN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) : Free Stock Analysis Report iShares Top 20 U.S. Stocks ETF (TOPT): ETF Research Reports This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Wayfair (W) Expected to Beat Earnings Estimates: Can the Stock Move Higher?
Wayfair (W) is expected to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2025. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price. The earnings report, which is expected to be released on August 4, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower. While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise. Zacks Consensus Estimate This online home goods retailer is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.34 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -27.7%. Revenues are expected to be $3.13 billion, up 0.4% from the year-ago quarter. Estimate Revisions Trend The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 2.24% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period. Investors should keep in mind that an aggregate change may not always reflect the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Earnings Whisper Estimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. This insight is at the core of our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction). The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier. Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only. A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP. Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell). How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Wayfair? For Wayfair, the Most Accurate Estimate is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +5.41%. On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #2. So, this combination indicates that Wayfair will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate. Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue? While calculating estimates for a company's future earnings, analysts often consider to what extent it has been able to match past consensus estimates. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number. For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Wayfair would post a loss of$0.18 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.10, delivering a surprise of +155.56%. Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates two times. Bottom Line An earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss. That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported. Wayfair appears a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release. An Industry Player's Expected Results Among the stocks in the Zacks Internet - Commerce industry, Carvana (CVNA), is soon expected to post earnings of $1.1 per share for the quarter ended June 2025. This estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +685.7%. This quarter's revenue is expected to be $4.57 billion, up 34.1% from the year-ago quarter. The consensus EPS estimate for Carvana has been revised 2.2% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. However, a higher Most Accurate Estimate has resulted in an Earnings ESP of +3.74%. When combined with a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold), this Earnings ESP indicates that Carvana will most likely beat the consensus EPS estimate. Over the last four quarters, the company surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Wayfair Inc. (W) : Free Stock Analysis Report Carvana Co. (CVNA) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data