Shake Shack ($SHAK) investors have been on for a mostly tasty ride with the New York-based burger purveyor - but as of late, Shake Shack stock hasn't tasted so great.
Still, after a Q3 sales whiff, Shake Shack has an opportunity to get back on track - and investors should be here for it. We're not being hyperbolic - that's what Goldman Sachs is saying.
First, as Shake Shack keeps growing out its store count, it has to keep growing its headcount, too. Over the last 12 months, Shake Shack job postings are up about 40%, according to its data. And Shake Shack won't just be putting its own staffers to work - it's planning on doing outsourcing to a big meal delivery company, too.
Goldman is hitching an ambitious price target of $115 per share to Shake Shack stock, citing the Grubhub ($GRUB) partnership that may have temporarily slowed sales, as a catalyst for investors.
Goldman thinks the Grubhub partnership will be a boon for Shake Shack stock, and that the burger chain has successfully completed its integration. Our chart above tracks Seamless and Grubhub ordering apps, which are tracking substantial engagement via the Apple Store ($AAPL), which tracks ratings submitted over time.
But Doordash is earning more engagement than all of its competitors and may represent a segment of the market Shake Shack is neglecting with its move to the one-platform online ordering relationship plan.
If Goldman is right about the Grubhub partnership, it means investors have a rare opportunity to buy in on Shake Shack at a time when its stock is offering a bit of a historical discount. Although its stock has more than doubled in value over the last 2 years, right now, Shake Shack shares are 28% down from their highs in late 2019.
When the burger chain announces earnings Monday, February 24, analysts tracked by Zacks Investment Research are looking for losses of -$0.01.
About the Data:
Thinknum tracks companies using the information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales.