BJ's Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) EVP Gregory Lynds Sells 25,350 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Executive sale: BJ’s Restaurants EVP Gregory Lynds sold 25,350 shares at an average price of $67.47, generating approximately $1.71 million. The transaction reduced his direct stake by 35.29% to 46,474 shares.
• Strong quarterly results: The company reported quarterly EPS of $0.94, exceeding estimates of $0.90, while revenue rose 6.4% year over year to $388.89 million.
• Mixed valuation outlook: Analysts’ price targets range from $43 to $80, but the stock carries a consensus “Hold” rating with an average target of $56.88. Shares recently traded near $67.85 after reaching a one-year high of $74.60.

BJ's Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ:BJRI - Get Free Report) EVP Gregory Lynds sold 25,350 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.47, for a total value of $1,710,364.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 46,474 shares in the company, valued at $3,135,600.78. This trade represents a 35.29% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

BJ's Restaurants Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ BJRI traded up $0.47 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $67.85. 477,082 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 529,565. The company has a current ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $58.09 and a 200 day simple moving average of $46.10. BJ's Restaurants, Inc. has a 1 year low of $28.46 and a 1 year high of $74.60. The stock has a market cap of $1.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.28, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.32.

BJ's Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The restaurant operator reported $0.94 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.04. BJ's Restaurants had a return on equity of 12.93% and a net margin of 2.86%.The company had revenue of $388.89 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $377.07 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.97 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that BJ's Restaurants, Inc. will post 2.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BJ's Restaurants

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. US Bancorp DE boosted its holdings in BJ's Restaurants by 14.5% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,305 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $101,000 after purchasing an additional 418 shares during the period. CWM LLC lifted its stake in shares of BJ's Restaurants by 187.7% in the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 699 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 456 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in BJ's Restaurants by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 11,904 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $469,000 after buying an additional 494 shares in the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co increased its stake in BJ's Restaurants by 8.6% during the first quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 6,524 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $229,000 after acquiring an additional 517 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in BJ's Restaurants by 0.9% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 71,617 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $3,194,000 after acquiring an additional 637 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.95% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BJRI has been the subject of a number of research reports. Benchmark lifted their target price on BJ's Restaurants from $68.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on shares of BJ's Restaurants from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. DA Davidson set a $65.00 price objective on shares of BJ's Restaurants in a research report on Friday, July 31st. William Blair raised BJ's Restaurants from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of BJ's Restaurants from $68.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $56.88.

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.

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