UBS Group AG Has $6.17 Million Stock Holdings in BJ's Restaurants, Inc. $BJRI

Key Points

• UBS Group AG slashed its BJ's Restaurants stake by 89.2% in the fourth quarter, selling more than 1.29 million shares and ending with 156,506 shares valued at about $6.17 million.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious, with BJRI carrying an overall “Hold” rating and an average price target of $42.00 after several firms reiterated neutral or bearish views.
• BJ's Restaurants reported mixed quarterly results: revenue came in slightly above estimates at $358.12 million, but EPS of $0.57 missed expectations of $0.61. The stock was up 4.2% and traded at $43.87 in Thursday’s session.

UBS Group AG cut its position in BJ's Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ:BJRI - Free Report) by 89.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 156,506 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after selling 1,295,377 shares during the period. UBS Group AG owned about 0.74% of BJ's Restaurants worth $6,166,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of BJRI. CWM LLC raised its holdings in BJ's Restaurants by 187.7% in the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 699 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 456 shares during the period. Quarry LP raised its holdings in BJ's Restaurants by 1,618.3% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,031 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 971 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in BJ's Restaurants by 39.3% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 939 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE raised its holdings in BJ's Restaurants by 14.5% in the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,305 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $101,000 after purchasing an additional 418 shares during the period. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its holdings in BJ's Restaurants by 77.5% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 2,317 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $103,000 after purchasing an additional 1,012 shares during the period. 99.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on BJRI shares. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of BJ's Restaurants from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on shares of BJ's Restaurants from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. DA Davidson began coverage on shares of BJ's Restaurants in a report on Friday, March 6th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $38.00 target price on the stock. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of BJ's Restaurants from $49.00 to $47.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of BJ's Restaurants from $42.00 to $38.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, BJ's Restaurants currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $42.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Brian S. Krakower sold 2,600 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.03, for a total value of $91,078.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 5,062 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $177,321.86. This trade represents a 33.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director C Bradford Richmond bought 1,200 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $35.10 per share, with a total value of $42,120.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 16,700 shares of the company's stock, valued at $586,170. This represents a 7.74% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders purchased 3,200 shares of company stock valued at $110,670. 4.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

BJ's Restaurants Stock Up 4.2%

Shares of BJRI stock opened at $43.87 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $37.81 and a 200-day moving average of $39.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. BJ's Restaurants, Inc. has a 12-month low of $28.46 and a 12-month high of $47.02. The company has a market capitalization of $922.15 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.16, a P/E/G ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.29.

BJ's Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The restaurant operator reported $0.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.61 by ($0.04). BJ's Restaurants had a return on equity of 13.48% and a net margin of 3.15%.The company had revenue of $358.12 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $356.97 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.59 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that BJ's Restaurants, Inc. will post 2.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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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