Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Grows Stock Holdings in BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. $BJ

Key Points

• Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in BJ's Wholesale Club by 0.6%, acquiring an additional 8,268 shares, bringing its total ownership to about 1.06% of the company.
• BJ's Wholesale Club reported a strong quarterly earnings performance with an earnings per share (EPS) of $1.14, exceeding analysts' estimates of $0.91.
• Insider trading activity includes a significant sale by EVP Paul Cichocki of 58,436 shares, marking a 33.86% decrease in his ownership, raising questions about executive sentiment on the stock's future.

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BJ - Free Report) by 0.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,401,094 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 8,268 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned approximately 1.06% of BJ's Wholesale Club worth $159,837,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club by 22.0% during the 1st quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 510 shares of the company's stock worth $58,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares during the period. Greenleaf Trust increased its position in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club by 4.3% during the first quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 2,450 shares of the company's stock worth $280,000 after buying an additional 101 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club by 3.5% during the first quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,087 shares of the company's stock worth $352,000 after buying an additional 104 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. increased its position in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club by 1.1% during the first quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 9,604 shares of the company's stock worth $1,096,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the period. Finally, Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club by 2.1% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,915 shares of the company's stock worth $675,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 98.60% of the company's stock.

BJ's Wholesale Club Trading Down 8.6%

BJ traded down $9.0860 during trading on Friday, hitting $97.0740. 9,135,626 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,061,989. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.14. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $107.17 and a 200 day moving average of $109.99. BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. has a 12-month low of $76.33 and a 12-month high of $121.10.

BJ's Wholesale Club (NYSE:BJ - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, August 22nd. The company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.10 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $5.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.49 billion. BJ's Wholesale Club had a net margin of 2.76% and a return on equity of 31.98%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.09 EPS. BJ's Wholesale Club has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.200-4.35 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. will post 3.96 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at BJ's Wholesale Club

In related news, EVP Paul Cichocki sold 58,436 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $110.08, for a total value of $6,432,634.88. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 114,127 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,563,100.16. This trade represents a 33.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Robert W. Eddy sold 17,900 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 368,333 shares in the company, valued at approximately $39,441,097.64. The trade was a 4.63% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 138,061 shares of company stock worth $15,027,745. 1.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on BJ. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of BJ's Wholesale Club from $109.00 to $123.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of BJ's Wholesale Club from $115.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Loop Capital restated a "hold" rating and set a $120.00 price objective (up previously from $110.00) on shares of BJ's Wholesale Club in a report on Friday, May 23rd. Gordon Haskett downgraded shares of BJ's Wholesale Club from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $105.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Friday, August 15th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $116.82.

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.