Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) have received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the five research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $70.00.

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded Build-A-Bear Workshop from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. DA Davidson reissued a “buy” rating and set a $60.00 target price on shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop in a research report on Friday, May 29th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director George Carrara sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.52, for a total value of $103,560.00. Following the sale, the director owned 11,277 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $389,282.04. This represents a 21.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 4.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Build-A-Bear Workshop

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Build-A-Bear Workshop in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc grew its stake in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 68.1% during the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 501 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 203 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 453.1% during the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 542 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 444 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 163.0% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 668 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 414 shares during the period. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new stake in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop in the second quarter worth approximately $57,000. 79.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Stock Up 0.5%

Build-A-Bear Workshop stock opened at $31.66 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $34.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $45.42. Build-A-Bear Workshop has a twelve month low of $29.71 and a twelve month high of $75.85. The company has a market cap of $396.97 million, a PE ratio of 7.41 and a beta of 1.09.

Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The specialty retailer reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.76 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $125.27 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $129.45 million. Build-A-Bear Workshop had a net margin of 10.48% and a return on equity of 32.15%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Build-A-Bear Workshop will post 4.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.23 per share. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 25th. Build-A-Bear Workshop’s payout ratio is presently 21.55%.

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.