Topic: How To Invest

Stock Pickers Digest Hotline – Friday, May 18, 2018

Article Excerpt

TEXAS ROADHOUSE, $59.20, symbol TXRH on Nasdaq, is a full-service, casual dining restaurant chain with 558 locations spread across 49 U.S. states and seven foreign countries. Its restaurants operate under two banners—Texas Roadhouse (537 locations) and Bubba’s 33 (21). Most outlets are company-owned. For the most-recent quarter, ended March 31, 2018, revenue for Texas Roadhouse rose 10.6%, to $627.7 million from $567.7 million a year earlier. Same-store sales increased 4.9% for company-owned restaurants and 3.9% for franchise locations in the U.S. Excluding one-time items, earnings jumped 25.3%, to $54.5 million, or $0.76 per share, from $43.5 million, or $0.51, a year earlier. Those gains are mostly due to lower costs and lower taxes in the wake of U.S. tax reforms. With the March 2018 payment, Texas Roadhouse raised its quarterly dividend by 19.0%, to $0.25 from $0.21. The shares now yield 1.7%. OUR RECOMMENDATION: Texas Roadhouse is a buy. Texas Roadhouse recent coverage May 2018 issue WAJAX CORP., $25.77, symbol WJX on Toronto, sells and services…