James Rutherford

On Wednesday, Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) CEO Kevin Johnson announced he is retiring after five years in the position. While the coffee retailer searches for a permanent replacement for Johnson, Starbucks founder and former two-time CEO Howard Schultz will return as interim chief executive...

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) shares traded slightly lower on Wednesday after the company reported fiscal first-quarter earnings on Tuesday afternoon and said rising costs may eat into profitability in 2022. Starbucks reported first-quarter adjusted EPS of 72 cents, missing the consensus...

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) shares bounced back on Monday after the stock received a Wall Street upgrade by an analyst who believes the stock’s post-earnings sell-off is overdone. The Analyst: Stephens analyst James Rutherford upgraded Starbucks from Equal Weight to Overweight...

While Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc’s (NYSE: CMG) stock has been under pressure since mid-April with weakness in growth, the company’s same-store sales prospect for the long term is “better than it ever has been,” given the rising mix of digital sales, according to...

Wendy’s Co (NASDAQ: WEN) shares traded higher Thursday after the company reported impressive first-quarter earnings and raised its full-year guidance. For the first quarter, Wendy’s reported adjusted EPS of 20 cents on revenue of $460.2 million. Both numbers exceeded consensus analyst...

While investors may be wondering if the rally in full-service restaurant stocks is over and if it is time to invest in quick-service restaurant stocks, this is not an “either/or decision,” according to Stephens & Co. The Wingstop Analyst: James Rutherford...

Pizza chain stocks were trading lower Thursday morning after Domino's Pizza, Inc. (NYSE: DPZ) reported a top-and-bottom line fourth quarter miss, while Papa John's Int'l, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) reported mixed results. Domino's Earnings Recap: Domino's said it earned $3.46 per share...

Casual restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) reported Tuesday with fourth-quarter results that prompted a 3% selloff in shares by Wednesday morning. Here's how the Street reacted to the print. The Chipotle Mexican Grill Analysts Raymond James analyst Brian Vaccaro...

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) reported Tuesday afternoon with mixed fiscal first-quarter results highlighted by a 5% U.S. same-store sales decline. The coffee chain posted a revenue miss, but EPS beat. Here's how six Starbucks sell-side analysts reacted to the print. The Starbucks...

Restaurant Brands International Inc (NYSE: QSR) was the only large-cap quick-service restaurant to end 2020 in the red, but the company has catalysts ahead to reverse its losses in 2021, according to Stephens. The Restaurant Brands Analyst: James Rutherford upgraded Restaurant Brands from...

Global fast food giant Mcdonald's Corp (NYSE: MCD) reported third-quarter results Monday and laid out a vision of its future. The McDonald's Analysts Stephens analyst James Rutherford maintains an Overweight rating on McDonald's with an unchanged $250 price target. Raymond...

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) reported third-quarter results highlighted by a strong 14.1% sales growth but soaring demand for delivery is impacting profits. Chipotle reported quarterly earnings of $3.76 per share, which beat the analyst consensus estimate of $3.40 by 10.6%. The...

Cheesecake Factory Inc (NASDAQ: CAKE) has no catalyst or recovery ahead given its overexposure to malls, according to Stephens. The Cheesecake Factory Analyst James Rutherford resumes coverage of Cheesecake Factory's stock with an Underweight rating and $14 price target. The Cheesecake Factory...

Domino's Pizza, Inc. (NYSE: DPZ) shares lost 0.64% Friday after the company reported first-quarter earnings and revenue beats but withdrew its long-term guidance. On Thursday, Domino's reported first-quarter EPS of $3.07 on revenue of $873.1 million. Both numbers beat consensus analyst...

Adobe Inc (NASDAQ: ADBE) reported second-quarter results Tuesday that prompted Stephens to adopt a bullish stance on the software maker.  The Analyst James Rutherford upgraded Adobe from Equal-Weight to Overweight with a price target lifted from $288 to $327. The Thesis Adobe reported a "...