Jack in the Box Inc. develops, operates, and franchises quick-service restaurants (QSR) in the United States through its subsidiaries. It operates in two segments: Jack in the Box, a hamburger chain, and Del Taco, a Mexican-American QSR chain. The company was formerly known as Foodmaker, Inc. and changed its name to Jack in the Box Inc. in November 1999. Founded in 1951, it is headquartered in San Diego, California.
Jack in the Box names former Starbucks CFO Rachel Ruggeri to board
Jack in the Box on Monday named former Starbucks CFO Rachel Ruggeri to its board as the fast-food chain continues an overhaul of its board and leadership structure. Michael Murphy, a board member since 2002, is retiring and will not stand for reelection, and the San Diego-based company also extended a cooperation agreement with the activist fund Greenwood Investors. The appointment follows the recent naming of former Taco Bell Chief Marketing Officer Taylor Montgomery as president and CEO-in-waiting, who is expected to join the board within the next 12 months; federal regulatory filings revealed a $220,000 sign-on bonus, an annual salary of $700,000, $1.5 million in stock, and an annual stock grant of $500,000 that is expected to increase to $1 million in 2028. Jack in the Box has made a series of changes since last year, including naming former Taco Bell CEO Mark King chairman, who earlier this year became interim CEO after the chain dismissed Lance Tucker, and appointing Katelyn Zborowski chief marketing officer and former P.F. Chang's CEO Eduardo Luz to the board in April. Ruggeri, who spent more than two decades at Starbucks, most recently as CFO, joins as same-store sales have fallen in nine of the past 10 quarters and the stock is down 30% over the past year and 87% over the past five years, though sales were at their best in nearly two years last quarter and turned positive late in the period and in the current quarter.
JACK · Capital · Neutral Board overhaul: names former Starbucks CFO Rachel Ruggeri to board, extends cooperation agreement with activist Greenwood Investors, and details new CEO pay package.
GreenWood Investors · Capital · Neutral Jack in the Box extended a cooperation agreement with activist fund Greenwood Investors as part of its board overhaul.
Jack in the Box Names Taco Bell Veteran Taylor Montgomery as Future CEO
Jack in the Box has named Taco Bell veteran Taylor Montgomery as its future CEO, tasking him with improving sales, execution, and franchisee profitability. Montgomery will join as president on September 14, a newly created role overseeing brand strategy, and is expected to become CEO within 12 months, joining the board at that time. He will receive a $700,000 base salary, a $220,000 signing bonus, and a one-time restricted stock grant valued at $1.5 million, with additional performance and long-term incentives. Montgomery most recently served as global chief brand officer at Taco Bell, where he oversaw growth strategy for a system with more than $18 billion in sales and over 9,000 restaurants. His appointment continues a succession process that began when executive chairman Mark King took over as interim CEO in February after Lance Tucker stepped down.
Jack in the Box Misses Q2 Revenue, Beats EPS, Plans Closures
Jack in the Box reported second quarter fiscal 2026 revenue of $257.7 million, missing analyst estimates of $264.3 million and down 1.8% year over year, while adjusted EPS of $0.96 beat consensus by 8.6%. Adjusted EBITDA was $61.2 million, above the $54.79 million estimate, and full-year EBITDA guidance midpoint of $227.5 million exceeded the $224.9 million consensus. The company ended the quarter with 2,115 locations, down from 2,753 a year earlier, and same-store sales fell 1.1%. Management attributed softness to a polarizing Hot Ones promotion and commodity inflation, and said accelerated franchise closures will continue into 2027 as it focuses on menu simplification and a new burger platform rollout.
Tapestry, Yeti, Cerebras among stocks moving premarket on earnings
Several companies saw significant premarket moves following their latest earnings reports. Tapestry dropped 7% after fiscal fourth-quarter revenue of $1.88 billion only slightly exceeded estimates, while Yeti slipped nearly 4% despite beating earnings expectations. Cerebras Systems tumbled nearly 18% after second-quarter revenue of $180 million missed the $194 million LSEG consensus, and StubHub lost almost 17% on weaker-than-expected adjusted gross margin. Birkenstock jumped 10% on better-than-expected quarterly results and raised full-year guidance, while EnerSys gained 13% after earnings and revenue topped Wall Street forecasts. Grocery Outlet rose 9% and Jack in the Box added more than 6% on earnings beats.
Several companies saw notable after-hours stock moves following their latest earnings reports. Cerebras Systems tumbled 14% after second-quarter revenue of $180 million missed the $194 million LSEG consensus estimate. StubHub lost more than 15% as adjusted gross margin of 82.2% fell short of the 84.3% StreetAccount consensus, though it reaffirmed its full-year adjusted EBITDA outlook. Jack in the Box gained more than 1% after fiscal third-quarter earnings of 96 cents per share beat the 88-cent FactSet estimate, while Red Robin Gourmet Burgers rose nearly 2% on better-than-expected second-quarter results. Coherent slipped almost 3% despite first-quarter guidance above expectations, and Cisco Systems fell 3% after adjusted gross margin only narrowly beat estimates.
Legacy Restaurant Franchises Deploy Nostalgia, New Concepts, and Leadership Changes to Revive Sales
Legacy quick-service restaurant brands including Pizza Hut, Burger King, Wendy's, Hardee's, and Jack in the Box are pursuing a range of turnaround strategies to regain market share and support franchisees. Pizza Hut franchisee Daland Corp. has remodeled 38 of its 93 locations back to the classic red roof design, a move that has generated viral attention and what its president Tim Sparks calls real momentum for the brand. Yum Brands is selling Pizza Hut in two deals—Yum China Holdings will acquire the Mainland China business while private equity firm LongRange Capital will purchase the remaining assets including domestic operations—a change that Sparks believes will bring renewed focus. Burger King has rebounded through an improved Whopper, new sandwiches, and creative advertising such as an Academy Awards spot that acknowledged past missteps, while Taco Bell continues to thrive on menu innovation and strong franchisee relations. Hardee's parent CKE Restaurants is piloting a new breakfast-and-lunch concept called Biscuits & Bird by Hardee's with its largest franchisee, Boddie-Noell Enterprises, as the brand works to reverse years of unit closures. Wendy's brought back former COO Bob Wright as CEO, a move that has lifted franchisee sentiment, and Jack in the Box is executing its 'Jack on Track' plan with a $500 million refinancing and a marketing collaboration with YouTube series 'Hot Ones' amid ongoing leadership turnover.
QSR · Demand · Positive Burger King's improved Whopper, new sandwiches, and creative advertising are driving sales rebound.
YUMC · Capital · Positive Yum China Holdings will acquire Pizza Hut's Mainland China business, expanding its portfolio.
CKE Restaurants Holdings · Demand · Neutral Hardee's parent CKE is piloting a new breakfast-and-lunch concept Biscuits & Bird by Hardee's with its largest franchisee to reverse unit closures, but outcome uncertain.
JACK · Capital · Neutral Jack in the Box's 'Jack on Track' plan includes a $500 million refinancing, but ongoing leadership turnover creates uncertainty.
WEN · Capital · Positive Wendy's brought back former COO Bob Wright as CEO, lifting franchisee sentiment.
YUM · Capital · Neutral Yum Brands is selling Pizza Hut in two deals, which may bring renewed focus but also represents a divestiture.
StockStory flags Jack in the Box, B&G Foods, and Somnigroup as cash-producing stocks to avoid
StockStory identified Jack in the Box, B&G Foods, and Somnigroup as cash-producing companies that may underperform despite generating free cash flow. Jack in the Box, with a trailing 12-month free cash flow margin of 3.2%, faces sluggish demand and ongoing restaurant closures. B&G Foods, at a 2.6% margin, has seen sales decline 5.4% annually over three years and carries a high net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 7 times. Somnigroup, with a 9.6% margin, posted slower revenue growth than consumer discretionary peers and shows diminishing returns on capital.
Brinker International Stands Out as a Value Stock with Strong Fundamentals
StockStory highlights Brinker International as a value stock with solid fundamentals, while flagging Teladoc and Jack in the Box as stocks to avoid. Brinker International, trading at $177.68 per share with a forward P/E of 14.5x, has posted average same-store sales growth of 15.5% over the past two years and generates $5.73 billion in revenue, giving it scale and bargaining power. In contrast, Teladoc faces flat sales and a 9% annual decline in average revenue per user, and Jack in the Box is dealing with weak same-store sales and restaurant closures.
Jack in the Box completes US$500 million debt sale and index reclassification
Jack in the Box Inc. completed a US$500 million sale of new fixed-rate senior secured notes and arranged up to US$150 million in variable funding capacity, reshaping its debt stack. The company was also added to several Russell indexes, including the Russell 3000E and Russell Microcap families, while being removed from certain Russell 2000 defensive and value-growth variations, signaling a reclassification of its size and style profile. These moves may influence near-term trading and financial flexibility, though the core investment thesis still hinges on the turnaround plan's ability to offset traffic softness and margin pressure.
JACK · Capital · Neutral Debt sale and index reclassification affect financial flexibility and trading, but core thesis depends on turnaround plan amid traffic softness and margin pressure.
Jack in the Box and First Watch stocks surge as oil price drop eases consumer pressure
Jack in the Box and First Watch shares jumped in afternoon trading after WTI crude fell below $70 per barrel, easing pressure on consumer wallets. Jack in the Box surged 15.4% and First Watch rose 9.3%, benefiting from a broader rally in restaurant stocks as lower oil prices act as a de facto tax cut for middle- and lower-income consumers. The drop in oil prices, which fell 3% to their lowest since early March, provides a much-needed catalyst for traffic recovery in the restaurant sector, which has recently warned of slowdowns due to inflation fatigue. Wendy's also surged 30%, driven by retail enthusiasm and a CFO change, while McDonald's and Darden saw gains from the macro tailwind. Jack in the Box shares remain down 28.9% year-to-date, trading at $13.32 per share, 46.5% below its 52-week high of $24.88 from July 2025.
JACK · Demand · Positive Lower oil prices ease consumer pressure, driving a broader rally in restaurant stocks and benefiting Jack in the Box directly.
FWRG · Demand · Positive Lower oil prices act as a de facto tax cut for consumers, boosting traffic and demand for restaurant chains like First Watch.
WEN · Capital · Neutral Wendy's surge is driven by retail enthusiasm and a CFO change, not directly by oil price drop; mentioned as context.
Jack in the Box Completes $500 Million Securitized Financing Facility
Jack in the Box Inc. has completed a $500 million securitized financing facility through an indirect subsidiary. The Master Issuer sold $500 million of Series 2026-1 7.624% Fixed Rate Senior Secured Notes, Class A-2, with proceeds intended to fully repay the existing Series 2019-1 4.476% Fixed Rate Senior Secured Notes, Class A-2-II and partially repay the Series 2022-1 3.445% Fixed Rate Senior Secured Notes, Class A-2-I. Executive Chairman and Interim CEO Mark King said the refinancing clears near-term maturities, with the next anticipated repayment date in 2029. The Master Issuer also entered into a purchase agreement to issue up to $150 million of Series 2026-1 Variable Funding Senior Secured Notes, Class A-1, replacing the existing $150 million Series 2022-1 Variable Funding Senior Secured Notes, Class A-1.
Wendy's and Jack in the Box stocks drop sharply on USDA cost forecast
Shares of Wendy's and Jack in the Box fell sharply in afternoon trading after a USDA forecast warned that rising farm production costs could soon pressure ingredient prices. The USDA projects total production costs for major crops will continue to rise, potentially reaching record highs, driven by significantly higher costs for fuel, lube, electricity, and fertilizer, with some fertilizer cost estimates revised up by as much as 13%. Wendy's stock fell 8.9% and Jack in the Box fell 11.4% on the news. The forecast suggests restaurant operators may not see relief from elevated expenses in the near future, with rising input costs for agricultural products like wheat, tomatoes, and dairy directly translating into higher food expenses and pressuring profit margins.
JACK · Supply · Negative USDA forecast warns rising farm production costs will pressure ingredient prices, directly increasing Jack in the Box's food expenses and squeezing margins.
WEN · Supply · Negative USDA forecast warns rising farm production costs will pressure ingredient prices, directly increasing Wendy's food expenses and squeezing margins.
United States