Jack in the Box Shares Jump Despite Earnings Miss and Sharp Sales Decline

Core Insights - Jack in the Box Inc. experienced a more than 10% increase in share price despite reporting fourth-quarter adjusted earnings that fell short of expectations and significant declines in same-store sales across its brands [1][2] Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings per share were reported at $0.30, which is below the analyst estimates of $0.46 [1] - Revenue for the quarter was $326.2 million, slightly exceeding the consensus estimate of $324.77 million, but reflecting a 6.6% year-over-year decline [1] Same-Store Sales - Same-store sales for the Jack in the Box brand decreased by 7.4%, with company-operated restaurants down 5.3% and franchised locations down 7.6% [2] - Del Taco, which is in the process of being divested, reported a 3.9% decline in system-wide same-store sales [2] Operational Efficiency - The restaurant-level margin at Jack in the Box was 16.1%, down from 18.5% a year ago, attributed partly to operational inefficiencies related to the company's expansion in Chicago, where eight new restaurants were opened during the quarter [2] Future Projections - For fiscal 2026, the company projected same-store sales to range between -1% and +1% [3] - The company indicated that first-quarter results are expected to remain under pressure before showing sequential recovery throughout the year [3] - Jack in the Box plans to open approximately 20 new restaurants while closing 50 to 100 locations, primarily franchised units [3]