BJ's Wholesale Club (NYSE:BJ) Price Target Raised to $117.00 at Evercore ISI

Key Points

• Evercore ISI has raised BJ's Wholesale Club's price target from $115.00 to $117.00, indicating a potential upside of 8.75% from its current price.
• Analysts from UBS Group have a "buy" rating with a price objective of $135.00, while multiple other firms have also increased their price targets for the stock in recent months.
• The company reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $1.14 for the last quarter, surpassing analysts' expectations of $0.91, with a year-over-year revenue growth of 4.8%.

BJ's Wholesale Club (NYSE:BJ - Get Free Report) had its target price increased by equities researchers at Evercore ISI from $115.00 to $117.00 in a research note issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "in-line" rating on the stock. Evercore ISI's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 8.75% from the stock's current price.

Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $135.00 price objective (up from $129.00) on shares of BJ's Wholesale Club in a report on Friday, May 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on BJ's Wholesale Club from $109.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Citigroup upped their price objective on BJ's Wholesale Club from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on BJ's Wholesale Club from $115.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on BJ's Wholesale Club from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, May 23rd. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, BJ's Wholesale Club presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $111.41.

BJ's Wholesale Club Price Performance

BJ stock opened at $107.59 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. BJ's Wholesale Club has a one year low of $76.33 and a one year high of $121.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.21 billion, a PE ratio of 25.02, a P/E/G ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.43. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $108.24 and a two-hundred day moving average of $109.86.

BJ's Wholesale Club (NYSE:BJ - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 22nd. The company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.91 by $0.23. BJ's Wholesale Club had a return on equity of 31.98% and a net margin of 2.76%. The firm had revenue of $5.15 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.18 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.85 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that BJ's Wholesale Club will post 3.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at BJ's Wholesale Club

In other news, CEO Robert W. Eddy sold 17,900 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.08, for a total value of $1,916,732.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 368,333 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $39,441,097.64. This represents a 4.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Steven L. Ortega purchased 1,740 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 27th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $114.60 per share, for a total transaction of $199,404.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 8,641 shares of the company's stock, valued at $990,258.60. This represents a 25.21% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have sold 138,061 shares of company stock valued at $15,027,745 over the last quarter. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BJ's Wholesale Club

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group bought a new stake in BJ's Wholesale Club during the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. REAP Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in BJ's Wholesale Club by 152.5% in the 2nd quarter. REAP Financial Group LLC now owns 250 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 151 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club by 66.5% during the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 288 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the period. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in BJ's Wholesale Club in the first quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in BJ's Wholesale Club in the second quarter valued at about $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.60% of the company's stock.

BJ's Wholesale Club Company Profile

BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc engages in the operation of membership warehouse clubs. Its product categories include grocery, household and pet, television and electronics, furniture, computer and tablets, patio and outdoor living, lawn and garden, baby and kids, toys, home, health and beauty, appliances, and jewelry.

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