The 2 Real Keys to Panera's Rise Today
Bread wasn't the only thing rising at Panera today: The stock rose at the open and quickly expanded its gains to 3.5% by 12:30 p.m. EDT. Analysts at Raymond James upgraded the stock from "underperform" to "market perform," marking the second positive move this week after Deutsche Bank analysts added the bakery chain to its short-term buy list on Monday.
Panera has done a good job of following the trend toward healthier eating options, with numerous reviews citing it as the healthiest option for fast food in America. Even as many restaurant chains have had to cut back on their menu offerings due to high input costs, Panera has expanded its menu, incorporating pasta in order to appeal to its high-end customer base. Even fellow health-focused chain Chipotle Mexican Grill hasn't been able to duplicate Panera's success in keeping a lid on its food expenses, as Panera's decision to keep bread-dough production in-house has produced big rewards. By maintaining an emphasis on premium quality, Panera is able to avoid the margin-destroying moves that weaker competitors have had to make.
In many ways, Panera has learned its lessons from coffeehouse giant Starbucks . Like Starbucks, Panera has worked hard to make its restaurants inviting with Wi-Fi service and a comfortable setting encouraging customers to treat each Panera location as a second home. Panera has also reached out to the communities it serves with initiatives like the Panera Cares pay-what-you-can locations for needy people seeking food.
What's really supporting Panera's stock?
As easy as it is to point to analyst upgrades as a reason for prices to make short-term moves, Panera's success over the long run depends on two key factors: its ability to keep giving its customers the products and dining experience they want and customers' willingness and capacity to keep rewarding a much-loved restaurant chain with their business. Positive signs on both fronts have been evident for a while now: Growing same-store sales, more productive per-store weekly sales, and ambitious expansion plans all point to favorable prospects for Panera. As long as the company keeps seeing such good results, today's pop in Panera stock will be just the tip of the iceberg for long-term investors.
Investors can be forgiven for thinking that a company that has returned almost 2,500% since going public probably has its best days behind it. But for Panera, there's reason to believe that the best is still yet to come. Find out what else there is for the bakery stock to look forward to in The Motley Fool's brand-new premium report on Panera. Included are key areas that investors must watch, as well as opportunities and threats facing the company both today and in the long term. Don't miss out on this invaluable investor's resource -- simply click here now to claim your copy today.
The article The 2 Real Keys to Panera's Rise Today originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Dan Caplinger has no position in any stocks mentioned. You can follow him on Twitter @DanCaplinger. The Motley Fool recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill, Panera Bread, and Starbucks. The Motley Fool owns shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Panera Bread, and Starbucks. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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