BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.04 EPS

BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) released its earnings results on Thursday. The restaurant operator reported $0.94 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.04, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $388.89 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $377.07 million. BJ’s Restaurants had a return on equity of 13.48% and a net margin of 3.15%.The company’s revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.97 earnings per share.

Here are the key takeaways from BJ’s Restaurants’ conference call:

• Strong traffic-led growth continued: Second-quarter comparable sales rose 6.5%, driven by 8.3% traffic growth, marking the company’s eighth consecutive quarter of sales and traffic growth and significant outperformance versus casual-dining benchmarks.
• Margins improved despite inflation: Restaurant-level operating margin expanded 20 basis points to 17.2%, while adjusted EBITDA increased to $44.4 million from $42.1 million. Labor leverage, lower food waste, improved menu mix, and better execution helped offset a 120-basis-point commodity headwind.
• Full-year guidance was raised: BJ’s increased its comparable-sales outlook to 3%–4%, restaurant-level operating profit guidance to $228 million–$235 million, and adjusted EBITDA guidance to $145 million–$152 million, citing strong first-half results and positive Q3 momentum.
• Balance-sheet flexibility improved: The company repaid $18 million of debt and ended the quarter with approximately $30 million of net debt, down from $61 million at the start of the year, while maintaining plans for up to $50 million in share repurchases.
• Value-driven traffic is pressuring average checks: Average check declined 1.8% in Q2, largely because the popular Biscoff Pizookie and Pizookie Meal Deal attracted trial visits and younger guests. Management expects the pressure to ease in Q3 and anticipates moderately positive check growth by Q4, although seasonal Pizookie performance remains a variable.

BJ’s Restaurants Stock Performance

BJRI traded up $4.11 on Thursday, reaching $74.26. The stock had a trading volume of 795,541 shares, compared to its average volume of 412,088. BJ’s Restaurants has a 12-month low of $28.46 and a 12-month high of $74.60. The company has a current ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $56.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $45.46. The company has a market cap of $1.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 1.31.

Insider Buying and Selling at BJ’s Restaurants

In other BJ’s Restaurants news, Director Lea Anne Ottinger sold 2,792 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.50, for a total transaction of $149,372.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 39,701 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,124,003.50. This represents a 6.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Gregory S. Lynds sold 6,201 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.86, for a total value of $346,387.86. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 46,474 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,596,037.64. The trade was a 11.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 63,817 shares of company stock worth $3,384,688. 2.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Quarry LP raised its position in BJ’s Restaurants by 1,618.3% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,031 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 971 shares during the period. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of BJ’s Restaurants in the fourth quarter valued at about $63,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its stake in shares of BJ’s Restaurants by 77.5% during the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,317 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $103,000 after purchasing an additional 1,012 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE increased its stake in shares of BJ’s Restaurants by 14.5% during the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,305 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $101,000 after purchasing an additional 418 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its position in shares of BJ’s Restaurants by 356.5% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,492 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $156,000 after purchasing an additional 2,727 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.95% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on BJRI. Barclays decreased 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 note on Wednesday, May 6th. Mizuho set a $60.00 target price on shares of BJ’s Restaurants in a report on Friday, July 24th. Benchmark boosted their target price on shares of BJ’s Restaurants from $50.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of BJ’s Restaurants from $47.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their price target on BJ’s Restaurants from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $49.38.

Trending Headlines about BJ’s Restaurants

Here are the key news stories impacting BJ’s Restaurants this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Comparable sales increased 6.5%. The solid same-store sales growth indicates continued customer demand and was a key positive in the quarterly update. BJ’s Restaurants fiscal second-quarter results
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings and revenue beat expectations. BJRI reported adjusted earnings of $0.94 per share, above estimates ranging from $0.87 to $0.90, while revenue of $388.89 million exceeded the $377.07 million consensus forecast. BJ’s Restaurants earnings and revenue estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised fiscal 2026 guidance. The upgraded outlook suggests executives expect operating trends and sales momentum to remain favorable, improving investor confidence in future results. BJ’s Restaurants fiscal second-quarter report

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.