Key Points FBI director Kash Patel touted Krispy Kreme during a congressional hearing yesterday. The stock reacted strongly, likely due to a short-squeeze egged on by meme stock investors. Krispy Kreme's turnaround plan remains far from certain. 10 stocks we like better than Krispy Kreme › Shares of donut manufacturer Krispy Kreme (NASDAQ: DNUT) rocketed 15.6% in Thursday trading. There wasn't any company-specific news from Krispy Kreme today -- although on Monday the company did unveil its "Fal ...

Group 1: Media and Entertainment - ABC Network has suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! indefinitely due to backlash over the host's remarks regarding the killing of Republican activist Charlie Kirk, with Nexstar Media Group stating the remarks were "offensive and insensitive" [3] - Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, indicated a strong case to punish Kimmel, ABC, and Disney for the comments made [3] - President Trump expressed approval of the suspension on social media, suggesting that NBC should also consider removing other late-night hosts [4] Group 2: Technology and AI - Huawei Technologies has announced a new AI chip roadmap, planning to release four new Ascend chips by 2028, aiming to challenge Nvidia's dominance in AI infrastructure [5][6] - The first chip, Ascend 950PR, is set to launch early next year, followed by the Ascend 950DT in late 2026, Ascend 960 in late 2027, and Ascend 970 in late 2028 [6] - The announcement comes after China's Cyberspace Administration banned major tech companies from purchasing Nvidia's AI chips, indicating a shift in the competitive landscape [6][7] Group 3: Food and Beverage - Krispy Kreme experienced a volatile trading day, ending with a 1.0% gain after FBI Director Kash Patel referred to it as a "good investment opportunity" during a congressional hearing [8] - The stock saw an increase of up to 8% during the day, with trading volume 50% above normal levels [9] - Patel had previously disclosed purchasing between $15,000 and $50,000 in Krispy Kreme shares, which has contributed to the stock's recent activity [9]

Group 1: Media and Entertainment - ABC Network has suspended "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" indefinitely due to backlash over Kimmel's remarks about the killing of Republican activist Charlie Kirk, with Nexstar Media Group stating the remarks were "offensive and insensitive" [3] - President Trump expressed approval of the suspension on Truth Social, suggesting that NBC should also remove Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers from their programming [4] - Sinclair, the largest owner of ABC affiliates, confirmed it will keep Kimmel's program off the air [5] Group 2: Technology and AI - Huawei Technologies announced a new AI chip roadmap, planning to release four Ascend chips by 2028, aiming to challenge Nvidia's dominance in AI infrastructure [5][6] - The first chip, Ascend 950PR, is set to launch early next year, followed by Ascend 950DT in late 2026, Ascend 960 in late 2027, and Ascend 970 in late 2028 [6] - The Cyberspace Administration of China has banned major tech companies from purchasing Nvidia's AI chips, further positioning Huawei's new technology as a competitive alternative [6][7] Group 3: Food and Beverage - Krispy Kreme experienced a volatile trading day, ending with a 1.0% gain after FBI Director Kash Patel referred to it as a "good investment opportunity" during a House Judiciary Committee hearing [8] - The stock saw an increase of up to 8% during the day, with trading volume 50% above normal [9] - Patel had previously disclosed purchasing between $15,000 and $50,000 in Krispy Kreme shares, contributing to the stock's recent activity [9]

Group 1: Stock Purchases and Reactions - FBI Director Kash Patel faced backlash for purchasing $15,001–$50,000 worth of Krispy Kreme (NASDAQ: DNUT) and $50,001–$100,000 worth of ON Semiconductor (NASDAQ: ON) shares in May 2023 [1][4] - Following Patel's remarks, Krispy Kreme shares spiked by as much as 11.5% intraday but closed up only 0.96%, remaining down over 67% year-to-date [8] - ON Semiconductor also experienced a brief spike but ended the day with less than 1% increase [8] Group 2: Conflict of Interest and Legislative Response - Patel has sold off numerous positions, including significant sales in Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), Palantir (NYSE: PLTR), and others, to avoid conflict of interest [4][5] - Lawmakers are pushing bipartisan efforts to prohibit members of Congress and high-ranking officials from trading individual securities, with Patel agreeing to collaborate on the bill [5] - Patel's investment in a company controlling Shein, a Chinese e-commerce giant, raised concerns about conflicts given China's status as a primary security threat [6]

Market Overview - U.S. stocks closed mixed with the Dow Jones Industrial Average increasing by 0.6% to 46,018.32, while the S&P 500 decreased by 0.1% to 6,600.35 and the Nasdaq fell by 0.3% to 22,261.33 [1] Federal Reserve Actions - The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark rate by 25 basis points to a range of 4.00%-4.25%, ending a nine-month pause and marking the fourth reduction in the current easing cycle [2] - Policymakers projected faster rate cuts ahead, lowering their 2025 outlook to 3.6% from 3.9%, while upgrading GDP forecasts and acknowledging persistent inflation pressures [2] Company Stock Performances - **Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. (CBRL)**: Stock fell by 3.16% to $49.59, with a significant after-hours decline of 9.28% to $44.99 following a mixed fourth-quarter earnings report that missed earnings per share estimates [3] - **D-Wave Quantum Inc. (QBTS)**: Stock surged by 18.98% to $22.54, reaching a new 52-week high of $22.85 during the Qubits Japan 2025 conference [4] - **IonQ Inc. (IONQ)**: Stock rose by 5.11% to $65.44, hitting an all-time high of $66.39, with a notable after-hours spike of nearly 7.2% to $70.13 after a deal with the U.S. Department of Energy [5] - **Krispy Kreme Inc. (DNUT)**: Stock increased by 0.96% to $3.15, rising almost 3.8% to $3.27 in after-hours trading after FBI Director Kash Patel disclosed his purchase of the stock [6] - **Broadcom Inc. (AVGO)**: Stock dropped by 3.84% to $346.17, but spiked 1.3% to $350.70 in after-hours trading following the expansion of its partnership with Lloyds Banking Group [7] Stock Rankings - Cracker Barrel stock has a Momentum ranking in the 74th percentile according to Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings [8]

Group 1 - The article discusses a short-term trading opportunity in Krispy Kreme (NASDAQ: DNUT), which yielded approximately 50% returns within a month due to heightened interest referred to as 'DORK fever' [1] - The author is an equity analyst and founder of Goulart's Restaurant Stocks, focusing on the U.S. restaurant industry, including various segments from quick-service to fine dining [1] - The research firm employs advanced financial modeling and sector-specific KPIs to identify hidden value in public equities, particularly in micro and small-cap stocks often overlooked by mainstream analysts [1] Group 2 - The analyst has a diverse background in finance and business management, holding an MBA in Controllership and Accounting Forensics, and a Bachelor's in Business Administration [1] - The research has been featured on multiple platforms, indicating a broad reach and credibility in the industry [1]

Core Insights - Krispy Kreme has launched a new product line called the Fall Fair Collection, featuring four doughnuts inspired by seasonal fairgrounds [1] Product Offering - The Fall Fair Collection includes a variety of doughnuts that capture the essence of classic fall fairs, appealing to customers' taste preferences [1] - The collection is available for a limited time at participating Krispy Kreme locations, enhancing the urgency for consumers to try the new offerings [1]

Core Viewpoint - Krispy Kreme is facing significant financial challenges, including declining revenue and profitability, high expenses, and a weak balance sheet, leading to a bearish outlook on its stock valuation [5][10][24]. Financial Performance - Krispy Kreme's revenue fell from a peak of $1.7 billion in 2023 to $1.5 billion in the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended 2Q25, indicating a year-over-year decline [10]. - The company's net operating profit after tax (NOPAT) decreased from $117 million in 2022 to $36 million in the TTM, with NOPAT margin dropping from 9% in 2019 to 2% in the TTM [10][11]. - Core Earnings fell from $47 million in 2022 to -$34 million in the TTM, highlighting a troubling trend in profitability [11]. Expense Management - Total operating expenses as a percentage of revenue increased from 96% in 2019 to 105% in the TTM ended 2Q25, indicating rising costs that outpace revenue [13]. - The company's high expenses are attributed to product and distribution costs, operating expenses, and marketing expenses [12][13]. Market Position and Valuation - Krispy Kreme's stock is considered significantly overvalued, with current price expectations implying unrealistic future profitability [5][25]. - To justify its current stock price of $3/share, Krispy Kreme would need to achieve $4.3 billion in revenue by 2034, nearly three times its TTM revenue [25]. Strategic Challenges - The company has struggled to maintain growth, evidenced by the termination of its partnership with McDonald's due to unsustainable cost structures [23][24]. - Krispy Kreme has also sold off assets, including its majority stake in Insomnia Cookies, to manage its balance sheet, which raises concerns about long-term sustainability [23][24][16]. Shareholder Impact - The number of shares outstanding has increased from 148 million in 2021 to 170 million in 2Q25, indicating potential dilution for existing shareholders [19]. - The company's total debt rose from $1.4 billion in 2021 to $1.8 billion in the TTM, contributing to a poor credit rating and financial instability [20][33].

Core Insights - Krispy Kreme is celebrating International Chocolate Day on September 13 by reintroducing its popular Chocolate Original Glazed® Doughnuts for a limited time [1] - The Chocolate Original Glazed® doughnuts will be available from Thursday through Sunday, offered by the dozen and individually for in-shop purchase, pickup, or delivery via Krispy [1] Company Strategy - The return of the Chocolate Original Glazed® doughnuts marks only the second time this year that Krispy Kreme has made this product available, indicating a strategic focus on limited-time offerings to drive customer interest and sales [1]

Core Viewpoint - Krispy Kreme's stock has faced significant declines due to poor sales, falling profits, and the cancellation of a partnership with McDonald's, leading to a 64% drop in stock value for 2025 [1][5] Group 1: Stock Performance - Shares of Krispy Kreme fell by as much as 10.2% before closing down 3.6% on the day [1] - The stock has plummeted 64% year-to-date [1] Group 2: Analyst Ratings and Opinions - A Wall Street analyst downgraded Krispy Kreme's stock rating from neutral to underweight, expressing skepticism about the company's turnaround plan [2] - J.P. Morgan analyst Rahul Krotthapalli highlighted risks associated with the turnaround plan, noting that current sales trends are negative and the company's organic growth rate declined by 0.8% last quarter [5][7] Group 3: Turnaround Plan Details - Krispy Kreme's turnaround plan includes cost-cutting measures related to the terminated McDonald's partnership and refranchising its international store footprint [3] - The plan also involves outsourcing logistics to a third party, which may reduce operational risks but also lower revenue and profits [4][5] Group 4: Financial Considerations - Krispy Kreme currently has $957 million in debt, which adds to the risk of its turnaround strategy [5] - While the focus on cost cuts and return on invested capital may lead to profitability improvements, the company remains growth-challenged, making it difficult to predict a successful turnaround [7]