Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW) Cut to “Strong Sell” at Zacks Research

Zacks Research lowered shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research note released on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. CJS Securities began coverage on shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. They issued a “market outperform” rating and a $70.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop in a research note on Tuesday, December 23rd. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 6th. Finally, DA Davidson cut their target price on Build-A-Bear Workshop from $85.00 to $70.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Build-A-Bear Workshop has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $64.75.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Price Performance

BBW stock opened at $59.38 on Monday. Build-A-Bear Workshop has a fifty-two week low of $32.55 and a fifty-two week high of $75.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $768.97 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.65 and a beta of 1.07. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $59.61 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $58.47.

Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 4th. The specialty retailer reported $0.62 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.55 by $0.07. Build-A-Bear Workshop had a net margin of 10.93% and a return on equity of 38.43%. The business had revenue of $122.68 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $124.28 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.73 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Build-A-Bear Workshop will post 3.71 EPS for the current year.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 8th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 26th were given a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 26th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. Build-A-Bear Workshop’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.23%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Build-A-Bear Workshop

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. IFP Advisors Inc raised its stake in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 68.1% during the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 501 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 203 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 453.1% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 542 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 444 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 163.0% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 668 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 414 shares during the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue bought a new stake in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop in the 3rd quarter valued at about $45,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd increased its stake in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 214.3% in the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 682 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 465 shares during the period. 79.30% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Build-A-Bear Workshop

Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc operates a specialty retail business focused on interactive “workshop” experiences that allow customers to create customized stuffed animals. Through its in-store and online platforms, the company offers a wide range of plush toys, apparel, accessories and sound modules, enabling guests to personalize each creation. In addition to its core bear products, Build-A-Bear has expanded its portfolio to include licensed characters from leading entertainment and media franchises.

Founded in 1997 by Maxine Clark and headquartered in St.