BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) Stock Price Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average – Time to Sell?

BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ:BJRI)’s stock price passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $37.06 and traded as high as $37.20. BJ’s Restaurants shares last traded at $37.17, with a volume of 552,879 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of BJ’s Restaurants from $39.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Mizuho boosted their target price on BJ’s Restaurants from $39.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of BJ’s Restaurants in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Benchmark raised their price target on BJ’s Restaurants from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, DA Davidson started coverage on BJ’s Restaurants in a research report on Friday, March 6th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $38.00 price objective for the company. 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $42.38.

BJ’s Restaurants Trading Up 2.8%

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 stock has a market cap of $787.89 million, a P/E ratio of 17.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.32. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $39.86 and its 200 day simple moving average is $37.06.

BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The restaurant operator reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $355.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $353.71 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.47 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. will post 1.5 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at BJ’s Restaurants

In other BJ’s Restaurants news, EVP Brian S. Krakower sold 2,600 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.03, for a total value of $91,078.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 5,062 shares in the company, valued at approximately $177,321.86. This trade represents a 33.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director C Bradford Richmond bought 1,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $35.10 per share, with a total value of $42,120.00. Following the completion of the purchase, 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 SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders purchased a total of 3,200 shares of company stock valued at $110,670 in the last 90 days. 4.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BJ’s Restaurants

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BJRI. CWM LLC increased its position 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 during the period. Quarry LP lifted its position in 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 purchasing an additional 971 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake 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 valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of BJ’s Restaurants in the 4th quarter valued at about $63,000. Finally, Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. grew its position in shares of BJ’s Restaurants by 18.0% during the 2nd quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 2,189 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $98,000 after buying an additional 334 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 99.95% of the company’s stock.

About BJ’s Restaurants

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.