Analysts Set BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ:BJRI) Price Target at $41.43

BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ:BJRI) has received a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the nine brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $41.4286.

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on BJRI shares. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $50.00 price objective on shares of BJ’s Restaurants in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating on shares of BJ’s Restaurants in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and issued a $30.00 price target on shares of BJ’s Restaurants in a report on Friday, October 31st. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of BJ’s Restaurants from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 9th. Finally, Mizuho set a $39.00 target price on shares of BJ’s Restaurants in a report on Friday, January 9th.

BJ’s Restaurants Stock Performance

Shares of BJRI stock opened at $40.54 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $857.02 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.25, a PEG ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.33. BJ’s Restaurants has a one year low of $28.46 and a one year high of $47.02. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $42.00 and its 200-day simple moving average is $36.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a current ratio of 0.36.

BJ’s Restaurants announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Thursday, October 30th that authorizes the company to buyback $75.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the restaurant operator to purchase up to 11.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at BJ’s Restaurants

In other BJ’s Restaurants news, EVP Brian S. Krakower sold 8,017 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.61, for a total value of $317,553.37. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,409 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $174,640.49. This trade represents a 64.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 4.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BJRI. Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new stake in shares of BJ’s Restaurants in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $4,373,000. Heights Point Management LP bought a new position in BJ’s Restaurants in the 4th quarter worth approximately $4,069,000. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP increased its position in BJ’s Restaurants by 121.3% in the 4th quarter. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP now owns 119,047 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $4,690,000 after acquiring an additional 65,247 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in BJ’s Restaurants by 8.5% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 385,230 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $15,178,000 after acquiring an additional 30,269 shares in the last quarter. Finally, HRT Financial LP boosted its position in BJ’s Restaurants by 77.0% during the 4th quarter. HRT Financial LP now owns 26,734 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $1,053,000 after acquiring an additional 11,632 shares during the period. 99.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About BJ’s Restaurants

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.