Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC Reduces Position in BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BJ)

Key Points

• Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in BJ's Wholesale Club by 23.3%, now owning 48,305 shares worth approximately $5.5 million.
• Analysts have issued a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" for BJ's Wholesale Club, with a price target averaging around $111.00.
• The company's recent quarterly earnings topped expectations, reporting $1.14 earnings per share against a consensus estimate of $0.91.

Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC reduced its position in BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BJ - Free Report) by 23.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 48,305 shares of the company's stock after selling 14,690 shares during the quarter. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC's holdings in BJ's Wholesale Club were worth $5,512,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Covestor Ltd grew its position in 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 acquiring an additional 115 shares during the last quarter. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in BJ's Wholesale Club in the first quarter valued at approximately $33,000. HM Payson & Co. purchased a new stake in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club during the first quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Bartlett & CO. Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club in the first quarter worth approximately $43,000. Finally, Wayfinding Financial LLC purchased a new position in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club in the first quarter worth $51,000. 98.60% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

BJ's Wholesale Club Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE BJ traded up $0.64 during trading on Friday, reaching $104.19. The company had a trading volume of 1,525,221 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,572,981. BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. has a 12-month low of $76.33 and a 12-month high of $121.10. The company has a quick ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The business's 50-day moving average is $110.04 and its 200 day moving average is $108.85. The stock has a market cap of $13.76 billion, a PE ratio of 24.23, a P/E/G ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.45.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. DA Davidson increased their price target on shares of BJ's Wholesale Club from $130.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Evercore ISI dropped their target price on shares of BJ's Wholesale Club from $115.00 to $110.00 and set an "in-line" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on BJ's Wholesale Club from $115.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, May 23rd. Loop Capital reaffirmed a "hold" rating and set a $120.00 price target (up previously from $110.00) on shares of BJ's Wholesale Club in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on BJ's Wholesale Club from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $111.00.

Insider Activity at BJ's Wholesale Club

In related news, CEO Robert W. Eddy sold 17,900 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.08, for a total transaction of $1,916,732.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 368,333 shares of the company's stock, valued at $39,441,097.64. This trade represents a 4.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Paul Cichocki sold 43,825 shares of BJ's Wholesale Club stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.65, for a total value of $4,673,936.25. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 172,563 shares of the company's stock, valued at $18,403,843.95. The trade was a 20.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 79,625 shares of company stock valued at $8,595,110. 1.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About BJ's Wholesale Club

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.