Mizuho Cuts BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) Price Target to $40.00

BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) had its price objective cut by Mizuho from $44.00 to $40.00 in a research note released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the restaurant operator’s stock.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on BJRI. Benchmark raised their target price 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. DA Davidson initiated coverage on BJ’s Restaurants in a research report on Friday, March 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $38.00 price target for the company. Citigroup increased their price objective on BJ’s Restaurants from $45.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of BJ’s Restaurants in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price 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 given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $42.13.

BJ’s Restaurants Price Performance

BJ’s Restaurants stock opened at $35.84 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $38.64 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $37.25. BJ’s Restaurants has a 1-year low of $28.46 and a 1-year high of $47.02. The company has a current ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $759.81 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.32.

BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The restaurant operator reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.60 by $0.06. BJ’s Restaurants had a net margin of 3.49% and a return on equity of 13.82%. The business had revenue of $355.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $353.71 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.47 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that BJ’s Restaurants will post 1.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at BJ’s Restaurants

In other BJ’s Restaurants news, EVP Brian S. Krakower sold 2,600 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 5,062 shares in the company, valued at $177,321.86. This trade represents a 33.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director C Bradford Richmond bought 1,200 shares of BJ’s Restaurants stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $35.10 per share, for a total transaction of $42,120.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 16,700 shares in the company, valued at approximately $586,170. This trade represents a 7.74% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders purchased 3,200 shares of company stock valued at $110,670. 4.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BJ’s Restaurants

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. 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 in the last quarter. Quarry LP boosted its holdings in shares of BJ’s Restaurants by 1,618.3% during the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,031 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 971 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of BJ’s Restaurants by 39.3% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 939 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 265 shares during the period. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of BJ’s Restaurants in the 4th quarter worth about $63,000. Finally, US Bancorp DE increased its stake in shares of BJ’s Restaurants by 14.5% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,305 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $101,000 after acquiring an additional 418 shares in the last quarter. 99.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

BJ’s Restaurants Company Profile

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.