Activist pressures Cracker Barrel

Article Excerpt

CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE INC. $48 is a hold. The company (Nasdaq symbol CBRL; Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 22.2 million; Market cap: $1.1 billion; Dividend yield: 2.1%; Takeover Target Rating: Medium; www.crackerbarrel.com) operates over 650 casual dining restaurants under the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store banner, in 44 states. Those outlets feature gift shops that sell seasonal items, apparel, toys, cookware, as well as various candies, preserves, and other food items. The stock has dropped 33% in the past year and is now down 73% from its pre-pandemic high of $180 in 2018. Cracker Barrel aims to improve its performance with a strategic plan, which includes new menus and refreshed store formats. To conserve cash, it also cut its dividend by 80.8%; the new annual rate of $1.00 a share yields 2.1%. Biglari Holdings Inc. (New York symbol BH), which owns 9.3% of Cracker Barrel, wants Cracker Barrel to cut more costs. It now aims to place five of its nominees on Cracker Barrel’s 10-member…