BJ's Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Benchmark Analyst Says

Key Points

• Benchmark raised its price target for BJ’s Restaurants from $68 to $80 and maintained a “buy” rating, implying 16.61% upside from the prior close.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: BJRI has an average “hold” rating and a consensus price target of $50.88, despite three buy, six hold, and two sell ratings.
• The company exceeded quarterly expectations with $0.94 EPS and $388.89 million in revenue, up 6.4% year over year, although EPS declined from $0.97 a year earlier. Insiders also sold roughly $3.38 million of stock over the past three months.

BJ's Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI - Get Free Report) had its price target increased by equities research analysts at Benchmark from $68.00 to $80.00 in a report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the restaurant operator's stock. Benchmark's price target suggests a potential upside of 16.61% from the stock's previous close.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on BJRI. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of BJ's Restaurants from $42.00 to $38.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of BJ's Restaurants from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Piper Sandler upped 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. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of BJ's Restaurants from $47.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Mizuho set a $60.00 target price on BJ's Restaurants in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, BJ's Restaurants presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $50.88.

BJ's Restaurants Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:BJRI opened at $68.61 on Friday. BJ's Restaurants has a one year low of $28.46 and a one year high of $74.60. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $56.28 and a 200-day moving average of $45.46. The company has a market capitalization of $1.44 billion, a PE ratio of 34.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a current ratio of 0.31.

BJ's Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The restaurant operator reported $0.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.04. BJ's Restaurants had a return on equity of 13.48% and a net margin of 3.15%.The business had revenue of $388.89 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $377.07 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.97 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that BJ's Restaurants will post 2.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Kendra D. Miller sold 19,261 shares of BJ's Restaurants stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.60, for a total value of $1,070,911.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 28,599 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,590,104.40. The trade was a 40.24% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Brian S. Krakower sold 7,341 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.17, for a total transaction of $405,002.97. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,721 shares of the company's stock, valued at $260,457.57. This represents a 60.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 63,817 shares of company stock valued at $3,384,688. 2.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BJ's Restaurants

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BJRI. UBS Group AG increased its holdings in shares of BJ's Restaurants by 576.9% during the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,451,883 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $44,326,000 after acquiring an additional 1,237,383 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in BJ's Restaurants by 48.8% in the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 935,375 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $28,557,000 after purchasing an additional 306,930 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new stake in BJ's Restaurants during the second quarter worth approximately $13,380,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in BJ's Restaurants during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $10,863,000. Finally, Millennium Management LLC raised its position in shares of BJ's Restaurants by 394.5% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 309,269 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $12,185,000 after purchasing an additional 246,733 shares during the period. 99.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key BJ's Restaurants News

Here are the key news stories impacting BJ's Restaurants this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong quarterly beat: BJRI reported adjusted earnings of $0.94 per share, above the $0.87-$0.90 analyst estimates, while revenue of $388.89 million topped the roughly $377.1 million consensus. Revenue increased 6.4% year over year. BJ's Restaurants Q2 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Comparable sales and outlook improved: Comparable restaurant sales rose 6.5%, and management raised its fiscal 2026 financial guidance. The upgraded outlook signals continued confidence in customer demand and operating execution. BJ's Restaurants Fiscal Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Management commentary is now key: Investors will look to the earnings call for details on traffic, pricing, restaurant-level margins, labor and food costs, and whether the stronger sales trend can continue through the remainder of fiscal 2026. BJ's Restaurants Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings declined year over year: Quarterly EPS fell from $0.97 to $0.94 despite the revenue increase, suggesting that cost pressures or other operating factors limited bottom-line growth. BJRI’s relatively elevated valuation means investors may expect continued earnings acceleration.

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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