BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) Price Target Cut to $40.00 by Analysts at Mizuho

BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) had its price target cut by research analysts at Mizuho from $44.00 to $40.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Mizuho’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 12.23% from the company’s current price.

BJRI has been the topic of a number of other research reports. DA Davidson began coverage on BJ’s Restaurants in a research note on Friday, March 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $38.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of BJ’s Restaurants in a report on Monday, December 29th. Barclays lifted their target price on BJ’s Restaurants from $39.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Benchmark lifted their price objective on shares of BJ’s Restaurants from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on BJ’s Restaurants from $45.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $42.13.

BJ’s Restaurants Stock Up 1.5%

BJRI opened at $35.64 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $38.94 and a 200-day moving average of $37.18. BJ’s Restaurants has a fifty-two week low of $28.46 and a fifty-two week high of $47.02. The company has a market capitalization of $755.57 million, a PE ratio of 16.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.40 and a quick ratio of 0.33.

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

Insider Activity at BJ’s Restaurants

In other BJ’s Restaurants news, Director C Bradford Richmond purchased 1,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $35.10 per share, for a total transaction of $42,120.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 16,700 shares in the company, valued at $586,170. The trade was a 7.74% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, 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 transaction of $91,078.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 5,062 shares in the company, valued at approximately $177,321.86. This trade represents a 33.93% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders purchased 3,200 shares of company stock worth $110,670. 4.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BJ’s Restaurants

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in shares of BJ’s Restaurants during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,942,000. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in BJ’s Restaurants by 394.5% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 309,269 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $12,185,000 after acquiring an additional 246,733 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC purchased a new position in shares of BJ’s Restaurants in the fourth quarter worth approximately $211,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. bought a new stake in shares of BJ’s Restaurants during the 4th quarter valued at $10,863,000. Finally, Bridgeway Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in BJ’s Restaurants during the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,912,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.95% of the company’s stock.

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.