JPMorgan Chase & Co. Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for BJ's Wholesale Club (NYSE:BJ) Stock

Key Points

• JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its price target on BJ's Wholesale Club from $90 to $98 while keeping a neutral rating, implying about 16.39% upside from the previous close.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed overall: BJ has a consensus Hold rating with an average price target of $106.25, as nine analysts rate it Buy, nine Hold, and one Sell.
• The stock fell 2.8% to $84.20, near its 52-week low, even after BJ's reported quarterly earnings and revenue that beat estimates and posted 9.9% year-over-year revenue growth.

BJ's Wholesale Club (NYSE:BJ - Get Free Report) had its target price boosted by equities researchers at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $90.00 to $98.00 in a report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "neutral" rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s price target points to a potential upside of 16.39% from the stock's previous close.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. William Blair reissued a "mixed" rating on shares of BJ's Wholesale Club in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Evercore reissued a "positive" rating on shares of BJ's Wholesale Club in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Jefferies Financial Group cut BJ's Wholesale Club from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $120.00 to $90.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Bank of America began coverage on BJ's Wholesale Club in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $110.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of BJ's Wholesale Club in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $106.25.

BJ's Wholesale Club Trading Down 2.8%

NYSE BJ traded down $2.44 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $84.20. 1,751,667 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,967,854. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $94.82 and a 200 day moving average price of $94.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 0.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. BJ's Wholesale Club has a 52 week low of $83.90 and a 52 week high of $117.00. The stock has a market cap of $10.75 billion, a PE ratio of 19.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.17 and a beta of 0.27.

BJ's Wholesale Club (NYSE:BJ - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 22nd. The company reported $1.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.04 by $0.06. BJ's Wholesale Club had a return on equity of 27.55% and a net margin of 2.70%.The company had revenue of $5.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.44 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.14 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 9.9% on a year-over-year basis. BJ's Wholesale Club has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.400-4.600 EPS. Analysts forecast that BJ's Wholesale Club will post 4.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at BJ's Wholesale Club

In other news, SVP Joseph Mcgrail sold 2,050 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.19, for a total value of $186,939.50. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 14,769 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,346,785.11. This represents a 12.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Robert W. Eddy sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.02, for a total value of $728,160.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 306,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,882,156.60. The trade was a 2.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BJ's Wholesale Club

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of BJ. Ossiam bought a new position in BJ's Wholesale Club in the second quarter worth approximately $100,000. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. grew its stake in BJ's Wholesale Club by 81.0% in the second quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 6,824 shares of the company's stock worth $736,000 after purchasing an additional 3,054 shares in the last quarter. AXA S.A. bought a new position in BJ's Wholesale Club in the second quarter worth approximately $1,094,000. Sei Investments Co. grew its stake in BJ's Wholesale Club by 31.5% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 276,115 shares of the company's stock worth $29,773,000 after purchasing an additional 66,204 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas bought a new position in BJ's Wholesale Club in the second quarter worth approximately $105,000. 98.60% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About BJ's Wholesale Club

BJ's Wholesale Club, headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, is a membership-based warehouse retailer offering a wide range of products and services primarily to small businesses and individual consumers. The company operates large-format clubs that provide value-priced groceries, health and beauty products, electronics, home goods, furniture, seasonal items and automotive supplies. In addition to its in-club offerings, BJ's features fuel stations at many locations and operates an e-commerce platform for online ordering and home delivery.

Founded in 1984 as a division of Zayre Corp., BJ's Wholesale Club quickly expanded throughout the Northeastern United States.

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