BJ's Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ:BJRI) Given Average Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts rate BJ’s Restaurants “Hold” on average: Of 11 analysts, five recommend holding the stock, three recommend buying, one rates it a strong buy, and two recommend selling. The average 12-month price target is $56.88, below the stock’s reported $63.59 price.
• The company exceeded quarterly expectations: BJ’s Restaurants reported adjusted earnings of $0.94 per share versus the $0.90 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $388.89 million, up 6.4% year over year and above estimates.
• Insiders have been selling shares: Company executives sold 124,077 shares worth approximately $7.68 million over the past 90 days, while institutional investors collectively own 99.95% of the stock.

Shares of BJ's Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ:BJRI - Get Free Report) have been given an average recommendation of "Hold" by the eleven analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have assigned a hold recommendation, three have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $56.8750.

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Mizuho set a $74.00 target price on BJ's Restaurants in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Zacks Research raised shares of BJ's Restaurants from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Benchmark boosted their target price on shares of BJ's Restaurants from $68.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. 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. Finally, Piper Sandler increased their target price on shares of BJ's Restaurants from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th.

Insider Transactions at BJ's Restaurants

In other BJ's Restaurants news, EVP Brian S. Krakower sold 7,341 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.17, for a total value of $405,002.97. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 4,721 shares in the company, valued at $260,457.57. The trade was a 60.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Gregory S. Lynds sold 25,350 shares of the company's 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 46,474 shares in the company, valued at $3,135,600.78. This represents a 35.29% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 124,077 shares of company stock worth $7,676,952 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 2.40% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BJ's Restaurants

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new stake in BJ's Restaurants during the second quarter valued at about $28,000. Bard Associates Inc. purchased a new position in shares of BJ's Restaurants in the second quarter worth about $30,000. CWM LLC raised its position 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 purchasing an additional 456 shares during the period. Quarry LP lifted its stake in shares of BJ's Restaurants by 1,618.3% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,031 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 971 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in BJ's Restaurants in the 4th quarter worth approximately $63,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.95% of the company's stock.

BJ's Restaurants Price Performance

BJ's Restaurants stock opened at $63.59 on Tuesday. BJ's Restaurants has a 52 week low of $28.46 and a 52 week high of $74.60. The company's 50 day moving average price is $64.54 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $49.05. The stock has a market cap of $1.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.01, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a quick ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

BJ's Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The restaurant operator reported $0.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $377.07 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.97 earnings per share. BJ's Restaurants's quarterly revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that BJ's Restaurants will post 2.37 earnings per share for the current year.

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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