BJ's Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) Shares Cross Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• BJ's Restaurants shares moved above their 200-day moving average, trading as high as $43.99 and last changing hands at $43.87, signaling recent upward momentum in the stock.
• Wall Street sentiment remains cautious: the stock has an average Hold rating with a $42.00 price target, as analysts are split between buy, hold, and sell calls.
• The company recently missed earnings expectations for the quarter, posting $0.57 EPS versus $0.61 expected, while revenue came in slightly above estimates and rose 2.9% year over year.

BJ's Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ:BJRI - Get Free Report) shares passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $39.14 and traded as high as $43.99. BJ's Restaurants shares last traded at $43.87, with a volume of 346,869 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of BJ's Restaurants from $44.00 to $40.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of BJ's Restaurants from $49.00 to $47.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Benchmark lifted their price target on shares of BJ's Restaurants from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. DA Davidson began coverage on shares of BJ's Restaurants in a research note on Friday, March 6th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $38.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on shares of BJ's Restaurants from $42.00 to $38.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, BJ's Restaurants currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $42.00.

BJ's Restaurants Price Performance

The company's 50 day moving average is $37.81 and its 200 day moving average is $39.14. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $922.15 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.29.

BJ's Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The restaurant operator reported $0.57 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.61 by ($0.04). BJ's Restaurants had a return on equity of 13.48% and a net margin of 3.15%.The company had revenue of $358.12 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $356.97 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.59 earnings per share. BJ's Restaurants's revenue was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that BJ's Restaurants, Inc. will post 2.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at BJ's Restaurants

In other BJ's Restaurants news, EVP Brian S. Krakower sold 2,600 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.03, for a total transaction of $91,078.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 5,062 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $177,321.86. This trade represents a 33.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director C Bradford Richmond acquired 1,200 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $35.10 per share, for a total transaction of $42,120.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 16,700 shares in the company, valued at $586,170. The trade was a 7.74% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have acquired a total of 3,200 shares of company stock worth $110,670 over the last three months. 4.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. CWM LLC grew its position in BJ's Restaurants by 187.7% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 699 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 456 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in BJ's Restaurants by 39.3% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 939 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP grew its position in BJ's Restaurants by 1,618.3% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,031 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 971 shares during the last quarter. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in BJ's Restaurants during the 4th quarter worth $63,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in BJ's Restaurants by 77.5% during the 2nd 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 during the last quarter. 99.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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