Jack in the Box's (JACK +10.36%) shares rose as much as 12% on Thursday after the fast-food chain reported fiscal fourth-quarter results and outlined expectations for fiscal 2026. The stock is still deep in the red for the year, but the latest update appears to have been better than many investors feared.
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Sales came in above expectations
Fourth-quarter revenue declined 6.6% year over year to $326.2 million, yet it came in slightly ahead of Wall Street estimates. Adjusted earnings fell to $5.8 million, or $0.30 per share, down sharply from $1.16 a year ago and well below consensus forecasts. Advertising and insurance costs squeezed profitability. Additionally, restaurant-level margins fell as higher selling and administrative spending offset the benefit from menu price increases.
Same-store sales dropped 7.4%, with pressure at both company-operated and franchised restaurants as traffic weakened.
NASDAQ: JACK
Key Data Points
Fiscal 2026 is a "rebuilding year"
In its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings call, management framed fiscal 2026 as a "rebuilding year."
To this end, the company is already expecting progress on its key same-store-sales metric. It's guiding to same-store sales between a 1% decline and a 1% increase for the full fiscal year, along with adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of $225 million to $240 million -- not bad for a company with a market capitalization of about $300 million.
The company will spend fiscal 2026 investing in its "Jack on Track" plan as it prepares to divest Del Taco to reduce complexity and debt.
"While performance in the fourth quarter did not meet our expectations, we remain focused on restoring positive momentum for the Jack in the Box brand," CEO Lance Tucker said in the earnings release.
