Short Interest in Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) Grows By 20.5%

Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW - Get Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,410,000 shares, a growth of 20.5% from the March 31st total of 1,170,000 shares. Approximately 11.5% of the company's stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 293,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.8 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on BBW. DA Davidson reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $50.00 price objective on shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop in a report on Friday, March 14th. StockNews.com cut Build-A-Bear Workshop from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, March 21st.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BBW traded up $1.04 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $37.06. The company's stock had a trading volume of 207,900 shares, compared to its average volume of 268,554. The stock has a market capitalization of $487.05 million, a P/E ratio of 9.86 and a beta of 0.54. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $36.77 and a 200-day moving average price of $39.15. Build-A-Bear Workshop has a 12-month low of $23.63 and a 12-month high of $48.23.

Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 13th. The specialty retailer reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.52 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $150.45 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $147.53 million. Build-A-Bear Workshop had a return on equity of 38.35% and a net margin of 10.58%. On average, equities analysts predict that Build-A-Bear Workshop will post 3.71 EPS for the current year.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 27th were issued a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.37%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 27th. This is a boost from Build-A-Bear Workshop's previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. Build-A-Bear Workshop's payout ratio is 23.10%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Build-A-Bear Workshop

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. XTX Topco Ltd grew its stake in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 45.0% in the 1st quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 11,042 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $410,000 after buying an additional 3,428 shares in the last quarter. De Lisle Partners LLP raised its stake in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 2.4% during the first quarter. De Lisle Partners LLP now owns 765,911 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $28,519,000 after acquiring an additional 18,000 shares in the last quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise purchased a new position in Build-A-Bear Workshop in the 1st quarter worth $331,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Build-A-Bear Workshop during the first quarter valued at about $3,154,000. Finally, Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH bought a new position in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop during the first quarter valued at about $346,000. 79.30% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Company Profile

Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc operates as a multi-channel retailer of plush animals and related products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Direct-to-Consumer, Commercial, and International Franchising. Its merchandise comprises various styles of plush products to be stuffed, pre-stuffed plush products, and sounds and scents that can be added to the stuffed animals, as well as range of clothing, shoes and accessories, and other toy and novelty items, including family sleepwear.