Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (CBRL)

In this 'dividend derby' contest, we serve up two fast food restaurant stocks and see which comes out the hottest.

Electoral risk remains the monster under the bed, and it only grows as our legislators intentionally choose the blame game over honest cooperation.

Still, shares have had a nice run since bottoming in March.

These well-known names are displaying noteworthy technical deterioration.

The big charge Cracker Barrel just took to write down its stake in the small Denver-based chain could spur another proxy fight with Biglari Holdings.

The shares of the casual dining restaurant have rebounded nicely after a huge plunge, but how it will fare as forced shutdowns ease is uncertain.

DPZ, up 23% year-to-date, is one of just four restaurant names in positive return territory for the year.

Beef shortages, capital raises, earnings, and a possible proxy fight.

The impact of the coronavirus on the cash flow of companies in the restaurant sector is leading to capital-saving moves by several notable names.

Fear is the name of the game here, not reality, and until it abates, all bets are off.

Let's review the charts and indicators.

If YUM wanted to go big in casual dining, it could make a play for Dine Brands Global.

The deals that has been taking place in the industry in the last few years are likely to continue.

Chico's FAS showed some signs of life, but a number of other retailers were down in the dumps.

One noted newcomer was Kura Sushi USA, and this is likely not the last we've heard of publicly traded sushi restaurants.

Let's look at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and Jack in the Box to see why rising EPS doesn't always translate into rising share value -- but can mean a 'catch-up' move is likely.

Make no mistake about it: I have fallen into the real estate value trap a time or two.

The view from the porch: A rising OBV line is a bullish clue for this restaurant chain's stock.

A look at the action on several stocks -- Chipotle, Shopify, Nucor and even Ulta Beauty -- shows this market is kind and offering up some juicy discounts.

The U.S. economy may see a real lift-off in consumer prices due to higher energy prices, even if certain sectors stand to benefit greatly -- as might the trade deficit.

A bunch of beaten-up value names registered double-digit percentage gains last week; we'll see if the rally can continue.

Bass Pro Shops deal should boost BXG, reverse-stock split should be ugly for existing APRN shareholders, and Biglari could bounce.

Fine fundamentals don't guarantee that a stock will go up in price if valuation levels already are elevated, as the popular restaurant chain illustrates.

Simply put, traders at the larger institutions were driven either by risk managers or simple fear out of FANG and information technology, and into anything else.

Biglari has railed at Cracker Barrel's very successful business, but its own Steak 'n Shake is not performing well.

Investors that are balance sheet junkies (as I am) will need to be careful, and keep these changes in mind when performing calculations or reviewing data.