Wells Fargo & Company Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for BJ's Wholesale Club (NYSE:BJ) Stock

Key Points

• Wells Fargo raised its BJ’s Wholesale Club price target from $110 to $120 and maintained an “overweight” rating, implying about 8% upside from the share price at the time of the report.
• Analyst views were broadly positive: MarketBeat reported a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $106.81, with ratings ranging from Strong Buy to Sell.
• BJ’s quarterly results beat expectations, reporting $1.36 earnings per share versus $1.17 forecast and $6.23 billion in revenue versus $5.97 billion expected; revenue rose 15.7% year over year.

BJ's Wholesale Club (NYSE:BJ - Get Free Report) had its price target hoisted by analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $110.00 to $120.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "overweight" rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company's price target would suggest a potential upside of 8.04% from the stock's current price.

Several other research firms also recently weighed in on BJ. Gordon Haskett upgraded BJ's Wholesale Club from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $115.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Weiss Ratings upgraded BJ's Wholesale Club from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of BJ's Wholesale Club in a research note on Monday, August 24th. Deutsche Bank restated a "hold" rating on shares of BJ's Wholesale Club in a report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Citigroup cut shares of BJ's Wholesale Club from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $111.00 to $113.00 in a research note on Friday, November 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $106.81.

BJ's Wholesale Club Price Performance

Shares of BJ stock traded up $0.19 on Friday, reaching $111.07. 134,845 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,957,379. The company has a market cap of $14.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.33, a P/E/G ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 0.12. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $99.59 and a 200 day moving average price of $95.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.19 and a current ratio of 0.73. BJ's Wholesale Club has a 1 year low of $83.21 and a 1 year high of $113.35.

BJ's Wholesale Club (NYSE:BJ - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 21st. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.17 by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $6.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.97 billion. BJ's Wholesale Club had a net margin of 2.62% and a return on equity of 27.40%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 15.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.14 EPS. BJ's Wholesale Club has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.600-4.800 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that BJ's Wholesale Club will post 4.70 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other BJ's Wholesale Club news, SVP Joseph Mcgrail sold 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.65, for a total value of $144,975.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 13,269 shares in the company, valued at $1,282,448.85. This represents a 10.16% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP William C. Werner sold 3,000 shares of BJ's Wholesale Club stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.00, for a total value of $285,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 50,160 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,765,200. This represents a 5.64% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 228,436 shares of company stock valued at $23,343,836. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BJ's Wholesale Club

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BJ. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in BJ's Wholesale Club in the second quarter valued at $27,242,000. Entropy Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club in the 1st quarter valued at $1,135,000. Sei Investments Co. grew its holdings in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club by 19.6% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 396,598 shares of the company's stock worth $39,033,000 after purchasing an additional 64,942 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club during the 2nd quarter worth $108,684,000. Finally, GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased a new position in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club during the 2nd quarter worth $2,001,000. 98.60% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

BJ's Wholesale Club Company Profile

BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. operates membership-based warehouse clubs that sell groceries and other merchandise in bulk and at discounted prices. Its offerings include fresh foods, household essentials, electronics, apparel, and seasonal products, as well as gasoline at many locations. The company also serves members through its website and mobile app, offering options such as online ordering and delivery or pickup. Its private-label brands include Wellsley Farms and Berkley Jensen. Founded in 1984 in Massachusetts, BJ's primarily serves customers in the eastern United States.

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