Insider Selling: BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) EVP Sells 7,341 Shares

BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ:BJRI) EVP Brian Krakower sold 7,341 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.17, for a total transaction of $405,002.97. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,721 shares in the company, valued at approximately $260,457.57. This represents a 60.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

BJ’s Restaurants Stock Performance

BJRI stock traded up $0.17 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $54.72. 1,234,754 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 400,834. BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. has a 1-year low of $28.46 and a 1-year high of $56.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.15 billion, a PE ratio of 27.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.35. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $43.42 and a 200-day simple moving average of $41.04. The company has a current ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17.

BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The restaurant operator reported $0.57 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.61 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $358.12 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $356.97 million. BJ’s Restaurants had a net margin of 3.15% and a return on equity of 13.48%. BJ’s Restaurants’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.59 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. will post 2.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BJRI has been the topic of a number of research reports. DA Davidson initiated coverage on BJ’s Restaurants in a report on Friday, March 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $38.00 price objective on the stock. Mizuho reduced their target price on shares of BJ’s Restaurants from $44.00 to $40.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Benchmark boosted their target price on shares of BJ’s Restaurants from $48.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of BJ’s Restaurants from $49.00 to $47.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on shares of BJ’s Restaurants from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $42.00.

Institutional Trading of BJ’s Restaurants

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of BJ’s Restaurants by 39.3% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 939 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE increased its holdings in BJ’s Restaurants by 14.5% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,305 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $101,000 after buying an additional 418 shares during the period. CWM LLC raised its position in shares of BJ’s Restaurants by 187.7% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 699 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 456 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of BJ’s Restaurants by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 11,904 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $469,000 after acquiring an additional 494 shares during the period. Finally, Diversified Trust Co boosted its position in shares of BJ’s Restaurants by 8.6% during the 1st quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 6,524 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $229,000 after acquiring an additional 517 shares in the last quarter. 99.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.