BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) Price Target Raised to $68.00 at Benchmark

BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) had its price target raised by Benchmark from $50.00 to $68.00 in a report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the restaurant operator’s stock.

BJRI has been the topic of several other research reports. Weiss Ratings downgraded BJ’s Restaurants from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on BJ’s Restaurants from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Mizuho dropped their target price on BJ’s Restaurants from $44.00 to $40.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Barclays cut their target price on BJ’s Restaurants from $42.00 to $38.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price target on BJ’s Restaurants from $49.00 to $47.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, BJ’s Restaurants presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $44.25.

BJ’s Restaurants Trading Up 8.0%

NASDAQ BJRI opened at $67.49 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.09, a P/E/G ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 0.31 and a quick ratio of 0.25. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $51.54 and its 200-day moving average is $43.71. BJ’s Restaurants has a one year low of $28.46 and a one year high of $68.02.

BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The restaurant operator reported $0.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.61 by ($0.04). BJ’s Restaurants had a net margin of 3.15% and a return on equity of 13.48%. The business had revenue of $358.12 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $356.97 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.59 earnings per share. BJ’s Restaurants’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that BJ’s Restaurants will post 2.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other BJ’s Restaurants news, EVP Gregory S. Lynds sold 6,201 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.86, for a total value of $346,387.86. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 46,474 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,596,037.64. The trade was a 11.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Brian S. Krakower sold 7,341 shares of BJ’s Restaurants stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 4,721 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $260,457.57. This represents a 60.86% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 63,817 shares of company stock worth $3,384,688 over the last three months. Insiders own 2.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BJ’s Restaurants

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of BJ’s Restaurants by 15.6% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 37,189 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,274,000 after buying an additional 5,013 shares in the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new position in BJ’s Restaurants in the 1st quarter valued at about $291,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its position in BJ’s Restaurants by 29.7% in the 2nd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 17,662 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $788,000 after acquiring an additional 4,045 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in BJ’s Restaurants by 22.5% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 291,957 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $13,021,000 after purchasing an additional 53,574 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its stake in BJ’s Restaurants by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 71,617 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $3,194,000 after purchasing an additional 637 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.95% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting BJ’s Restaurants

Here are the key news stories impacting BJ’s Restaurants this week:

• Positive Sentiment: William Blair upgraded BJ’s Restaurants to outperform from market perform, signaling improved expectations for the company. Article: William Blair Upgrades BJ’s Restaurants (BJRI) to Outperform
• Positive Sentiment: Benchmark lifted its price target on BJRI to $68 from $50 and maintained a buy rating, suggesting limited near-term upside but validating the stock’s recent strength. Article: Benchmark Raises Price Target on BJ’s Restaurants (BJRI)
• Neutral Sentiment: BJ’s Restaurants announced it will report second-quarter 2026 earnings on July 30 after the market close and host a conference call the same day, which keeps investors focused on upcoming results. Article: BJ’s Restaurants Announces Date for Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Release and Conference Call
• Neutral Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha article discussed BJ’s Restaurants remaining attractive even after its recent run-up, reflecting ongoing market interest in the stock’s valuation and momentum. Article: BJ’s Restaurants Remains Tasty Even After Heating Up

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.