BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) Sets New 1-Year High – What’s Next?

Shares of BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ:BJRI) reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $48.19 and last traded at $47.73, with a volume of 33381 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $45.63.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on BJRI shares. DA Davidson assumed coverage on shares of BJ’s Restaurants in a report on Friday, March 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $38.00 target price on the stock. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of BJ’s Restaurants from $42.00 to $38.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of BJ’s Restaurants from $49.00 to $47.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Piper Sandler raised their target price on shares of BJ’s Restaurants from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their target price on BJ’s Restaurants from $44.00 to $40.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $42.00.

BJ’s Restaurants Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 0.31 and a quick ratio of 0.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $41.13 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $40.28.

BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The restaurant operator reported $0.57 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.61 by ($0.04). BJ’s Restaurants had a return on equity of 13.48% and a net margin of 3.15%.The firm had revenue of $358.12 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $356.97 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.59 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. will post 2.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at BJ’s Restaurants

In other BJ’s Restaurants news, Director Noah A. Elbogen sold 4,049 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.85, for a total value of $193,744.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 76,235 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,647,844.75. This represents a 5.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Brian S. Krakower sold 3,475 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.71, for a total transaction of $162,317.25. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,721 shares in the company, valued at $220,517.91. The trade was a 42.40% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 17,543 shares of company stock valued at $807,407 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 4.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of BJ’s Restaurants

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. UBS Group AG boosted its position in BJ’s Restaurants by 576.9% during the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,451,883 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $44,326,000 after acquiring an additional 1,237,383 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of BJ’s Restaurants by 23.5% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,362,763 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $102,665,000 after purchasing an additional 640,648 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in shares of BJ’s Restaurants by 48.8% during the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 935,375 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $28,557,000 after purchasing an additional 306,930 shares in the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new stake in shares of BJ’s Restaurants during the second quarter valued at about $13,380,000. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in BJ’s Restaurants in the fourth quarter worth about $10,863,000. 99.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

BJ’s Restaurants Company Profile

BJ’s Restaurants, Inc is a publicly traded casual dining chain known for its deep‐dish pizzas, California‐style thin crust offerings and in‐house craft beer selections. Operating under the BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse brand, the company combines a microbrewery concept with full‐service dining, offering an extensive menu that includes appetizers, salads, pasta dishes, sandwiches and the signature Pizookie dessert.

Founded in 1978 in Orange County, California, BJ’s Restaurants began as BJ’s Chicago Pizzeria, bringing a Chicago‐style pizza experience to the West Coast.