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On Friday, Benchmark maintained its Buy rating and $12.00 price target for Red Robin Gourmet Burgers (NASDAQ:RRGB), following the company’s first-quarter financial results. The report, released after the market closed on May 29, 2025, highlighted Red Robin’s stronger-than-anticipated profitability, attributed to improved labor efficiency and stable cost of goods sold (COGS). According to InvestingPro data, the company operates with a significant debt burden of $585.12 million and maintains a concerning current ratio of 0.52, indicating potential liquidity challenges.
Red Robin reported same-store sales (SSS) growth of 3.1% for the quarter, slightly above the approximately 3% figure communicated in late April. The company’s revenue reached $392 million, surpassing the consensus estimate of $389 million. The restaurant-level operating margin (RLOM) was 14.3%, significantly exceeding the consensus forecast of 11.7% and marking the highest quarterly result in the past eight quarters. InvestingPro analysis reveals the company’s weak gross profit margin of 12.57% over the last twelve months, suggesting ongoing profitability challenges despite the quarterly improvement.
Adjusted earnings per share (AEPS) and adjusted EBITDA (AEBITDA) came in at $0.20 and $27.9 million, respectively, both outperforming consensus expectations of $(0.49) in AEPS and $19.2 million in AEBITDA. Despite these positive results, the company has revised its full-year revenue guidance downward by $15 million to $20 million, based on a nearly 100 basis points lower traffic prediction, now at (4)%. This adjustment reflects the current macroeconomic environment and the traffic trends observed in April and May. InvestingPro subscribers have access to 13 additional key insights about Red Robin’s financial health and future prospects through the comprehensive Pro Research Report.
Benchmark analysts concluded that Red Robin’s fiscal year 2025 RLOM and AEBITDA estimates remain unchanged at 12%-13% and $60 million to $65 million, respectively. The firm’s analysts reiterated their confidence in the stock by maintaining the Buy rating and $12 price target. With a current market capitalization of just $94.98 million and trading above its Fair Value according to InvestingPro’s valuation metrics, investors should carefully consider the company’s financial position and growth prospects.
In other recent news, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. reported a notable earnings surprise for the first quarter of 2025. The company posted earnings per share of $0.19, surpassing the expected loss of $0.39. However, revenues were slightly below forecasts, coming in at $392.4 million against the anticipated $395.4 million. Red Robin’s strategic focus on technology upgrades and operational efficiency appears to be paying off, as evidenced by an increase in their restaurant-level operating profit margin to 14.3%.
In light of these results, Red Robin has set a revenue guidance of $1.210 billion to $1.230 billion for the year, maintaining their current menu prices. The company also anticipates ending 2025 with 393 company-owned restaurants. Analyst feedback has been positive, with the Benchmark Company noting the effectiveness of Red Robin’s revamped loyalty program and its potential for further growth. The company is also actively working on debt reduction and has recently monetized three owned properties to repay approximately $17.8 million of debt.
Red Robin’s leadership transition to CEO Dave Pace marks a continuation of their strategic initiatives, with a focus on sustaining guest experience improvements and driving restaurant traffic growth. CFO Todd Wilson expressed optimism about the company’s financial strategies and cost efficiency gains. These developments reflect Red Robin’s ongoing efforts to strengthen their financial position while enhancing operational performance.
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