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Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL)
NASDAQ:CBRL
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Cracker Barrel (CBRL) AI Stock Analysis

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CBRL

Cracker Barrel

(NASDAQ:CBRL)

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Neutral 53 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:53Neutral
Price Target:
$55.00
▲(2.40% Upside)
Action:Reiterated
Date:07/28/26
CBRL’s score is held back primarily by weakened financial performance (margin compression, negative TTM operating income, and high leverage) and an expensive valuation (P/E 45.62). These are partially offset by strong technical trend positioning (price above major moving averages) and a more balanced earnings outlook driven by raised FY2026 guidance and cost actions, though traffic declines and cost pressures remain key risks.
Positive Factors
Positive cash generation
Sustained positive operating and free cash flow provides durable liquidity to fund maintenance capex, service debt and support restructurings. That cash buffer reduces refinancing risk and gives management flexibility to invest in tech, loyalty and margin recovery over the next 2–6 months.
Negative Factors
High leverage
Elevated leverage increases sensitivity to earnings swings and limits financial flexibility. With debt materially above equity, weaker EBITDA or cash conversion could strain covenants or force higher-cost refinancing, constraining investments and strategic optionality in the medium term.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Positive cash generation
Sustained positive operating and free cash flow provides durable liquidity to fund maintenance capex, service debt and support restructurings. That cash buffer reduces refinancing risk and gives management flexibility to invest in tech, loyalty and margin recovery over the next 2–6 months.
Read all positive factors

Cracker Barrel Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Any
Any
Revenue by Segment
Revenue by Segment
Shows how different business areas contribute to overall sales, highlighting which segments drive growth and profitability for Cracker Barrel.
Chart InsightsRestaurants remain the dominant revenue stream, but recent quarters reveal persistent softness driven by double‑digit traffic declines that blunt pricing power and squeeze margins. Retail is lagging and margin‑deteriorating from tariffs and heavier discounting, amplifying EBITDA pressure. Management’s menu wins, loyalty growth and targeted G&A/advertising cuts could stabilize sales and cash flow, yet guidance implies operational fixes — not one‑off settlements — are required to restore profitability; watch comps/traffic recovery and retail gross margins as the key catalysts.
Data provided by:The Fly

Cracker Barrel (CBRL) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Cracker Barrel Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. develops and operates the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store concept in the United States. Its Cracker Barrel stores consist of restaurants with a gift shop. The company’s restaurants serve breakfast, lunch, an...
How the Company Makes Money
Cracker Barrel makes money primarily by selling meals and beverages in its company-operated restaurants and by selling merchandise in its attached retail stores. Restaurant revenue is generated from guest traffic, menu pricing, and sales mix acros...

Cracker Barrel Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Jun 09, 2026
(Q3-2026)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Sep 22, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Neutral
The call conveyed a mix of encouraging operational progress and notable near‑term headwinds. Management highlighted improved guest metrics (Google rating, taste, service, value), loyalty growth (~12M members), retail momentum and strong cost actions that helped Q3 results and supported raising FY adjusted EBITDA guidance. However, comparable restaurant sales and traffic remain negative (sales down 2.6%, traffic down 6.7%), adjusted EBITDA and margins contracted YoY, and cost pressures (labor, retail COGS from tariffs) and one‑time G&A items were material. Liquidity and a one‑time litigation settlement bolstered the balance sheet, and management is investing in tech and AI to sustain momentum. Overall, the positives around execution and guidance offset, but do not yet fully eliminate, the meaningful operating headwinds — producing a balanced outlook.
Positive Updates
Quarterly Revenue and Guidance Raise
Total revenue of $797.4 million in Q3; company raised full‑year revenue guide to $3.27B–$3.30B and increased full‑year adjusted EBITDA guidance to $120M–$125M.
Negative Updates
Comparable Store Sales and Traffic Decline
Comparable restaurant sales decreased 2.6% YoY and traffic declined 6.7% YoY in Q3 — the largest operational headwind cited and a key near‑term challenge.
Read all updates
Q3-2026 Updates
Negative
Quarterly Revenue and Guidance Raise
Total revenue of $797.4 million in Q3; company raised full‑year revenue guide to $3.27B–$3.30B and increased full‑year adjusted EBITDA guidance to $120M–$125M.
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
Cracker Barrel raised its fiscal 2026 outlook, guiding total revenue of $3.27–3.30 billion with pricing in the low‑4% range, commodity inflation in the low‑2% range and hourly wage inflation in the low‑2% range, and increasing full‑year adjusted EBITDA to $120–$125 million (Q3 adjusted EBITDA was $40.3 million, or 5.1% of revenue); capital expenditures are expected to be $105–$115 million (majority maintenance; Q3 CapEx $27.1 million). The company noted a filed tariff refund claim of approximately $17 million (about $5 million received in Q4 and expected to be largely reinvested) and stated guidance does not assume additional refunds. Key balance sheet and quarterly anchors cited include Q3 revenue of $797.4 million, restaurant revenue $658.4 million, average check $15.85 (up 4.3% including 4.4% pricing), off‑premise ~19.6% of restaurant sales, available liquidity $541.3 million, total debt $486.6 million (all convertible notes) and consolidated total debt/adjusted EBITDA of ~2.4x (senior debt/adjusted EBITDA 0x with revolver undrawn).

Cracker Barrel Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Underlying fundamentals are pressured: profitability has weakened materially with TTM operating profit turning negative and revenue declining sharply in TTM. Leverage is elevated (debt well above equity; ~2.6x debt-to-equity), increasing sensitivity to earnings volatility. Offsetting this, operating cash flow and free cash flow remain positive, providing some liquidity support despite deteriorating cash conversion and sharply negative TTM FCF growth.
Income Statement
28
Negative
Balance Sheet
44
Neutral
Cash Flow
50
Neutral
BreakdownTTMJul 2025Jul 2024Jul 2023Jul 2022Jul 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue3.34B3.48B3.47B3.44B3.27B2.82B
Gross Profit1.14B1.15B1.11B1.11B1.07B973.06M
EBITDA162.14M193.19M169.60M237.84M269.31M488.00M
Net Income26.23M46.38M40.93M99.05M131.88M254.51M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets2.09B2.16B2.16B2.22B2.29B2.39B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments26.05M39.64M12.04M25.15M45.10M144.59M
Total Debt1.09B1.18B1.20B1.16B1.20B1.13B
Total Liabilities1.62B1.70B1.72B1.73B1.78B1.73B
Stockholders Equity465.47M461.69M440.15M483.82M511.48M663.63M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow59.18M59.76M40.69M125.07M108.15M231.77M
Operating Cash Flow194.73M218.90M168.98M250.46M205.25M301.90M
Investing Cash Flow-131.91M-156.70M-124.33M-124.32M-98.50M78.33M
Financing Cash Flow-46.58M-34.59M-57.77M-146.10M-206.24M-672.64M

Cracker Barrel Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price53.71
Price Trends
50DMA
47.34
Positive
100DMA
38.23
Positive
200DMA
34.05
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
2.83
Negative
RSI
68.15
Neutral
STOCH
81.13
Negative
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For CBRL, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 53.71 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 53.82, above the 50-day MA of 47.34, and above the 200-day MA of 34.05, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 2.83 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 68.15 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 81.13 is Negative, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for CBRL.

Cracker Barrel Risk Analysis

Cracker Barrel disclosed 35 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Cracker Barrel reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Cracker Barrel Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (61)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
72
Outperform
$9.17B20.41123.43%11.75%40.33%
66
Neutral
$5.04B26.4838.83%1.35%5.66%14.01%
62
Neutral
$402.02M20.06-179.01%4.58%9.37%-16.75%
61
Neutral
$18.38B12.79-2.54%3.03%1.52%-15.83%
53
Neutral
$1.26B47.895.89%1.86%-4.92%-54.90%
46
Neutral
$983.77M35.60-6.47%6.06%-2.41%-64.77%
45
Neutral
$66.92M-2.74-27.46%-2.72%-1962.01%
* Consumer Cyclical Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
CBRL
Cracker Barrel
58.75
2.67
4.76%
EAT
Brinker International
225.97
66.49
41.69%
NATH
Nathan's Famous
99.00
4.19
4.42%
PZZA
Papa John's International
29.75
-12.20
-29.09%
CAKE
Cheesecake Factory
105.31
44.59
73.45%
GENK
GEN Restaurant Group, Inc. Class A
2.07
-1.36
-39.65%

Cracker Barrel Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board ChangesRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Cracker Barrel Announces CEO Transition and Leadership Change
Positive
Jul 27, 2026
On July 27, 2026, Cracker Barrel announced that Chief Executive Officer and President Julie Masino would step down from her roles effective August 10, 2026, resigning from the board the same day and remaining as an employee until October 9, 2026 t...
Business Operations and StrategyFinancial DisclosuresM&A TransactionsPrivate Placements and Financing
Cracker Barrel Divests Maple Street Biscuit Operations
Positive
Jul 20, 2026
On July 17, 2026, Cracker Barrel completed a sale-leaseback transaction for 26 company-owned store properties with an institutional real estate investor, generating roughly $77 million in net proceeds earmarked for reducing revolving credit facili...
Executive/Board ChangesRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Cracker Barrel Announces General Counsel Retirement and Successor
Neutral
May 1, 2026
On December 5, 2025, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. disclosed that Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary Richard Wolfson intended to retire on May 5, 2026, under his existing consulting agreement. Following a smoot...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Jul 28, 2026