Zacks Research Issues Negative Forecast for BJRI Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research cut BJ's Q1 2026 EPS estimate to $0.55 from $0.63 and issued updated multi-quarter and fiscal forecasts, including FY2027 EPS of $2.15 and FY2028 EPS of $2.43.
• BJ's beat the last quarter with EPS of $0.66 versus $0.60 expected and revenue up 3.2% year-over-year, but shares fell about 3.2% and trade near $35.32 with a market cap around $749M and a PE of ~16.4.
• Analyst coverage is mixed—consensus rating is a Hold with a $42.38 price target (2 Buys, 6 Holds, 2 Sells)—while a director bought 1,000 shares and insiders own roughly 4.3% of the stock.

BJ's Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ:BJRI - Free Report) - Equities researchers at Zacks Research decreased their Q1 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for BJ's Restaurants in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, March 11th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the restaurant operator will post earnings of $0.55 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $0.63. The consensus estimate for BJ's Restaurants' current full-year earnings is $1.50 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for BJ's Restaurants' Q2 2026 earnings at $0.81 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $0.55 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.60 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.85 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.09 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.61 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $2.15 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $2.43 EPS.

BJ's Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The restaurant operator reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.06. BJ's Restaurants had a return on equity of 13.82% and a net margin of 3.49%.The business had revenue of $355.40 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $353.71 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.47 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of BJ's Restaurants from $39.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of BJ's Restaurants from $45.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of BJ's Restaurants in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Benchmark raised their price objective on BJ's Restaurants from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on BJ's Restaurants from $39.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, BJ's Restaurants presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $42.38.

BJ's Restaurants Stock Down 3.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:BJRI opened at $35.32 on Thursday. BJ's Restaurants has a 1 year low of $28.46 and a 1 year high of $47.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $748.78 million, a PE ratio of 16.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.32. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $41.46 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $36.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.40 and a quick ratio of 0.33.

Insider Activity at BJ's Restaurants

In related news, Director C Bradford Richmond acquired 1,000 shares of BJ's Restaurants stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $34.50 per share, for a total transaction of $34,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 17,700 shares in the company, valued at $610,650. This represents a 5.99% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 4.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BJ's Restaurants

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BJRI. CWM LLC increased its position in shares of BJ's Restaurants by 187.7% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 699 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 456 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP boosted its stake in BJ's Restaurants by 1,618.3% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,031 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 971 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of BJ's Restaurants by 39.3% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 939 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of BJ's Restaurants in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $63,000. Finally, Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of BJ's Restaurants by 18.0% in the 2nd quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 2,189 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $98,000 after acquiring an additional 334 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.95% of the company's stock.

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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