Bath & Body Works (NYSE:BBWI) Stock Price Up 5% – Time to Buy?

Shares of Bath & Body Works, Inc. (NYSE:BBWI) were up 5% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $19.87 and last traded at $19.7170. Approximately 2,331,826 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 55% from the average daily volume of 5,213,482 shares. The stock had previously closed at $18.78.

Bath & Body Works News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Bath & Body Works this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company will offer fewer discounts in 2026, a change that management says customers will notice and that investors expect could improve gross margins and reduce margin volatility. Bath & Body Works says it will offer fewer discounts in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Telsey Advisory raised its BBWI price target to $25 while keeping a Market Perform rating — an endorsement that may support sentiment, though the rating is not a full buy upgrade. Telsey Advisory Raises Bath & Body Works (BBWI) Target to $25, Maintains Market Perform Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Media/sector coverage (e.g., 247WallSt) lists BBWI as a consumer discretionary name to watch amid a challenging retail backdrop — useful for idea flow but not immediate company news. 3 Consumer Discretionary Stocks Worth Watching: American Eagle, Under Armour, and Bath & Body Works
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple plaintiff firms (Rosen, Faruqi, Pomerantz, Gross, Schall, Bragar Eagel & Squire, etc.) have issued shareholder alerts and filed a securities‑fraud class action alleging misstatements tied to the June 4, 2024–Nov 19, 2025 class period. The proliferation of filings increases the company’s litigation exposure and could pressure the stock if settlements or damages become likely. Representative notice: BBWI Deadline: Rosen Law Firm Urges Bath & Body Works, Inc. (NYSE: BBWI) Stockholders…
• Negative Sentiment: There is an imminent March 16, 2026 lead‑plaintiff filing deadline highlighted by several firms — that deadline concentrates near‑term legal activity and may keep headline risk elevated over the coming days. BBWI DEADLINE NOTICE: ROSEN, LEADING TRIAL ATTORNEYS…

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BBWI has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Bath & Body Works from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price target for the company from $39.00 to $17.00 in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Bath & Body Works from $33.00 to $25.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Bath & Body Works in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on shares of Bath & Body Works from $21.00 to $22.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Guggenheim started coverage on shares of Bath & Body Works in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Bath & Body Works currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $24.00.

Bath & Body Works Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $4.02 billion, a PE ratio of 6.23, a PEG ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 1.48. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $22.39 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $23.24.

Bath & Body Works (NYSE:BBWI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 4th. The company reported $2.05 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.77 by $0.28. Bath & Body Works had a net margin of 8.90% and a negative return on equity of 45.60%. The firm had revenue of $2.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.59 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.09 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. Bath & Body Works has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.240-0.300 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 2.400-2.650 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Bath & Body Works, Inc. will post 3.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Bath & Body Works Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 6th. Investors of record on Friday, February 20th were given a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 20th. Bath & Body Works’s payout ratio is currently 25.40%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bath & Body Works

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of BBWI. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in Bath & Body Works by 132.5% during the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 11,445,928 shares of the company’s stock worth $229,834,000 after buying an additional 6,523,960 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in Bath & Body Works by 2,204.1% during the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 5,174,370 shares of the company’s stock worth $133,292,000 after purchasing an additional 4,949,796 shares in the last quarter. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. raised its stake in Bath & Body Works by 553.2% in the 3rd quarter. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. now owns 3,714,499 shares of the company’s stock valued at $95,685,000 after purchasing an additional 3,145,797 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Bath & Body Works in the 4th quarter valued at about $55,504,000. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Bath & Body Works during the 4th quarter worth about $54,785,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.14% of the company’s stock.

About Bath & Body Works

Bath & Body Works, Inc is a leading specialty retailer focused on personal care, home fragrance and complementary products. Through its flagship Bath & Body Works brand, the company offers a diverse assortment of shower gels, lotions, fragrance mists, candles and home fragrance items. Its product portfolio also includes the White Barn Candle Co range of premium scented candles and diffusers. Bath & Body Works serves consumers through a combination of brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce platforms, delivering seasonal collections, limited-edition releases and signature scent lines.

Founded in 1990 as part of Limited Brands (now L Brands), Bath & Body Works opened its first store in New Albany, Ohio, and quickly expanded across the United States.