Eschler Asset Management LLP Invests $1 Million in BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. $BJ

Key Points

• Eschler Asset Management LLP acquired a new stake in BJ's Wholesale Club, purchasing 8,766 shares valued at approximately $1,000,000, making it the firm's 13th largest holding.
• Several other institutional investors have also increased their positions in BJ's Wholesale Club, with AQR Capital Management raising its stake by 195.6%, now owning over 1.1 million shares valued at $136 million.
• BJ's Wholesale Club reported earnings of $1.14 per share for the latest quarter, surpassing analyst expectations of $1.10, but total revenue of $5.38 billion fell short of the $5.49 billion estimate.

Eschler Asset Management LLP purchased a new stake in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BJ - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 8,766 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,000,000. BJ's Wholesale Club accounts for about 2.5% of Eschler Asset Management LLP's portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest position.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club by 0.8% during the first quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 4,366,509 shares of the company's stock valued at $498,219,000 after purchasing an additional 35,130 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its position in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club by 65.9% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 4,186,760 shares of the company's stock worth $477,709,000 after buying an additional 1,662,415 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its stake in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club by 29.8% during the first quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 3,228,685 shares of the company's stock valued at $368,393,000 after buying an additional 741,782 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club by 199.7% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 2,986,494 shares of the company's stock valued at $340,759,000 after buying an additional 1,989,980 shares during the period. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its stake in shares of BJ's Wholesale Club by 0.7% during the 1st quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,534,337 shares of the company's stock worth $175,068,000 after purchasing an additional 11,119 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.60% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on BJ shares. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $127.00 price target (up from $125.00) on shares of BJ's Wholesale Club in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. Robert W. Baird increased their price target 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. Citigroup lowered their price target on BJ's Wholesale Club from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 25th. Gordon Haskett downgraded BJ's Wholesale Club from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $105.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Friday, August 15th. Finally, Loop Capital reiterated a "hold" rating and set a $120.00 price objective (up previously from $110.00) on shares of BJ's Wholesale Club in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $113.18.

Insider Activity at BJ's Wholesale Club

In other BJ's Wholesale Club news, CEO Robert W. Eddy sold 17,900 shares of the company'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 sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 368,333 shares of the company's stock, valued at $39,441,097.64. This represents a 4.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Paul Cichocki sold 58,436 shares of the company'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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 114,127 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,563,100.16. This represents a 33.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 120,161 shares of company stock valued at $13,023,303. 1.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

BJ's Wholesale Club Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of NYSE:BJ traded up $2.03 on Monday, hitting $99.03. 2,640,908 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,949,772. The company has a market capitalization of $13.05 billion, a PE ratio of 22.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.17 and a current ratio of 0.79. BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. has a 1-year low of $76.52 and a 1-year high of $121.10. The firm's 50-day moving average is $104.25 and its 200 day moving average is $109.44.

BJ's Wholesale Club (NYSE:BJ - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, August 22nd. The company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 return on equity of 30.40% and a net margin of 2.77%.The business's revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.09 EPS. BJ's Wholesale Club has set its FY 2025 guidance at 4.200-4.35 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. will post 3.96 EPS for the current year.

BJ's Wholesale Club Company 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.