AQR Capital Management LLC Grows Stake in BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. $BJ

Key Points

• AQR Capital Management LLC significantly increased its stake in BJ's Wholesale Club by 195.6%, owning 1,198,084 shares valued at approximately $136 million.
• Analysts have varying ratings on BJ's stock, with ten giving it a "Buy" rating and nine issuing a "Hold" rating, while the average target price is now $113.18.
• In recent insider trading, EVP Paul Cichocki sold 58,436 shares, resulting in a 33.86% decrease in his position, while corporate insiders own just 1.40% of the company's stock.

AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BJ - Free Report) by 195.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,198,084 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 792,808 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC owned 0.91% of BJ's Wholesale Club worth $136,019,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club in the 1st quarter valued at $33,000. HM Payson & Co. acquired a new position in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club in the 1st quarter valued at $41,000. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club in the 1st quarter valued at $43,000. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club in the 1st quarter valued at $48,000. Finally, Wayfinding Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club in the 1st quarter valued at $51,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.60% of the company's stock.

BJ's Wholesale Club Stock Down 2.0%

Shares of BJ's Wholesale Club stock traded down $2.03 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $96.97. 593,248 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,941,346. BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. has a 1 year low of $77.08 and a 1 year high of $121.10. The stock's fifty day moving average is $104.07 and its 200 day moving average is $109.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.17 and a current ratio of 0.79. The firm has a market cap of $12.78 billion, a PE ratio of 22.24, a PEG ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.40.

BJ's Wholesale Club (NYSE:BJ - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 22nd. The company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.10 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $5.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.49 billion. BJ's Wholesale Club had a return on equity of 30.40% and a net margin of 2.77%.The company's revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.09 earnings per share. BJ's Wholesale Club has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.200-4.35 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. will post 3.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently commented on BJ. Loop Capital reaffirmed a "hold" rating and issued a $120.00 price target (up previously from $110.00) on shares of BJ's Wholesale Club in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on BJ's Wholesale Club from $125.00 to $115.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 25th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on BJ's Wholesale Club from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. Citigroup decreased their target price on BJ's Wholesale Club from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 25th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered BJ's Wholesale Club from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 16th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $113.18.

Insider Transactions at BJ's Wholesale Club

In other BJ's Wholesale Club news, EVP Paul Cichocki sold 58,436 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.08, for a total value of $6,432,634.88. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 114,127 shares of the company's stock, valued at $12,563,100.16. This trade represents a 33.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Robert W. Eddy sold 17,900 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $107.08, for a total value of $1,916,732.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 368,333 shares in the company, valued at $39,441,097.64. This represents a 4.63% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 120,161 shares of company stock worth $13,023,303 in the last ninety days. 1.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

BJ's Wholesale Club 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.