BT Brands Inc. (NASDAQ:BTBD) surged 17.99% after hours Thursday to $2.23, after Monday’s earnings release showed a sharp fiscal 2025 operating turnaround and progress on its Cincinnati-based drone technology firm Aero Velocity merger.

BT Brands, based in North Dakota, owns and operates quick-service restaurants.

Turnaround Numbers

According to the company, its restaurant-level EBITDA rose 138% to $1.7 million, while the operating loss narrowed 80% to $364,585. The net loss improved to $0.11 per share, compared with $0.37 per share in 2024.

BT Brands ended fiscal 2025 with $4.4 million in cash and marketable securities on hand.

Merger Optionality Adds Fuel

The proposed merger with Aero Velocity would transform BTBD into an AI-driven analytics and drone inspection services platform.

Post-merger, restaurant assets would be distributed to pre-merger shareholders and the remaining entity, expected to operate as Aero Velocity, would remain listed on Nasdaq.

CEO Gary Copperud called 2025 “a turning point,” crediting disciplined execution and cost control.

Trading Metrics, Technical Analysis

BT Brands has a market capitalization of $11.63 million, with a 52-week high of $5.59 and a 52-week low of $1.

It has a Relative Strength Index (RSI) of 64.57.

The small-cap stock has gained 56.20% over the past year.

BTBD is about 19% of the way from its 52-week low to its high.

Price Action: The stock closed the regular session at $1.89, up 7.39%, according to Benzinga Pro.

Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that BTBD has a positive price trend across all time frames.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.