BJ's Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) Stock Price Passes Above 200 Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• BJ’s Restaurants shares rose above their 200-day moving average, reaching $62.58 and last trading at $62.14, compared with a 200-day average of $50.41.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed: recent upgrades include “buy” and “strong buy” ratings, but the overall consensus remains “Hold” with a $56.88 price target—below the current share price.
• The company exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.94 in EPS versus $0.90 expected and $388.89 million in revenue; however, insiders sold 108,031 shares worth about $6.87 million over the past 90 days.

BJ's Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ:BJRI - Get Free Report) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $50.41 and traded as high as $62.58. BJ's Restaurants shares last traded at $62.14, with a volume of 363,311 shares trading hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on BJRI shares. Weiss Ratings raised BJ's Restaurants from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Friday, September 4th. Citigroup increased their price objective on BJ's Restaurants from $68.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Zacks Research upgraded BJ's Restaurants from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. William Blair raised BJ's Restaurants from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Mizuho set a $74.00 target price on shares of BJ's Restaurants in a research note on Friday, July 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, BJ's Restaurants has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $56.88.

BJ's Restaurants Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a current ratio of 0.29. The firm has a market cap of $1.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.23, a P/E/G ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.30. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $65.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $50.41.

BJ's Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The restaurant operator reported $0.94 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $388.89 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $377.07 million. BJ's Restaurants had a return on equity of 12.93% and a net margin of 2.86%.The company's revenue was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.97 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that BJ's Restaurants, Inc. will post 2.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at BJ's Restaurants

In other BJ's Restaurants news, EVP Brian Krakower sold 7,341 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.17, for a total value of $405,002.97. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 4,721 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $260,457.57. This represents a 60.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Gregory Lynds sold 21,704 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.81, for a total value of $1,493,452.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 24,770 shares in the company, valued at $1,704,423.70. The trade was a 46.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 108,031 shares of company stock valued at $6,871,209 in the last 90 days. 2.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of BJ's Restaurants

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new position in shares of BJ's Restaurants during the 2nd quarter worth $28,000. Bard Associates Inc. bought a new stake in shares of BJ's Restaurants during the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new stake in shares of BJ's Restaurants in the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its stake in shares of BJ's Restaurants by 5,341.1% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 3,047 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $107,000 after purchasing an additional 2,991 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AXQ Capital LP bought a new position in BJ's Restaurants in the 2nd quarter worth $204,000. 99.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About BJ's Restaurants

BJ's Restaurants, Inc operates casual dining restaurants under the BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse brand. Its restaurants offer a broad menu that includes deep-dish and tavern-style pizzas, burgers, salads, sandwiches, pasta, entrees, desserts and other American-style cuisine.

The company is also known for its handcrafted beer program, which includes a range of house-brewed beers served alongside its food offerings. BJ's restaurants generally combine full-service dining with a casual, family-friendly atmosphere and operate in locations across the United States.

BJ's Restaurants traces its origins to 1978, when its first location opened in Southern California.

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