Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the five brokerages that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $73.3333.

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on BBW. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Zacks Research raised shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd.

Institutional Trading of Build-A-Bear Workshop

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Build-A-Bear Workshop during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its position in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 68.1% during the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 501 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 203 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its position in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 453.1% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 542 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 444 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 163.0% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 668 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 414 shares during the period. Finally, Covestor Ltd boosted its position in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 214.3% during the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 682 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 465 shares during the period. 79.30% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Stock Down 2.7%

Shares of NYSE BBW opened at $35.25 on Friday. Build-A-Bear Workshop has a 52-week low of $34.29 and a 52-week high of $75.85. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $38.79 and a 200-day moving average of $49.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $443.45 million, a PE ratio of 8.83 and a beta of 1.06.

Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 12th. The specialty retailer reported $1.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.27 by ($0.01). Build-A-Bear Workshop had a net margin of 9.85% and a return on equity of 34.25%. The company had revenue of $154.51 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $155.71 million. Equities research analysts expect that Build-A-Bear Workshop will post 3.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 26th were given a dividend of $0.23 per share. This is a positive change from Build-A-Bear Workshop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 26th. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. Build-A-Bear Workshop’s dividend payout ratio is currently 23.06%.

About Build-A-Bear Workshop

Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc operates a specialty retail business focused on interactive “workshop” experiences that allow customers to create customized stuffed animals. Through its in-store and online platforms, the company offers a wide range of plush toys, apparel, accessories and sound modules, enabling guests to personalize each creation. In addition to its core bear products, Build-A-Bear has expanded its portfolio to include licensed characters from leading entertainment and media franchises.

Founded in 1997 by Maxine Clark and headquartered in St.