Mizuho Has Lowered Expectations for BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) Stock Price

BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) had its price target cut by stock analysts at Mizuho from $44.00 to $40.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the restaurant operator’s stock. Mizuho’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 11.61% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of BJ’s Restaurants from $45.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. DA Davidson started 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 reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of BJ’s Restaurants in a report on Monday, December 29th. Benchmark raised their target price on BJ’s Restaurants from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on BJ’s Restaurants from $39.00 to $42.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Two 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, BJ’s Restaurants has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $42.13.

BJ’s Restaurants Stock Performance

Shares of BJRI stock opened at $35.84 on Thursday. BJ’s Restaurants has a 52-week low of $28.46 and a 52-week high of $47.02. The stock has a market cap of $759.70 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 0.40. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $38.64 and a 200-day moving average of $37.20.

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

Insider Activity

In other news, Director C Bradford Richmond acquired 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The stock was bought at an average price of $34.05 per share, with a total value of $34,050.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 18,700 shares in the company, valued at approximately $636,735. This represents a 5.65% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Brian S. Krakower sold 2,600 shares of BJ’s Restaurants stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 5,062 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $177,321.86. This trade represents a 33.93% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have acquired 3,200 shares of company stock worth $110,670 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 4.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On BJ’s Restaurants

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. CWM LLC grew its holdings in shares of BJ’s Restaurants by 187.7% during 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 last quarter. Quarry LP increased its stake in shares of BJ’s Restaurants by 1,618.3% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,031 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 971 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings 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 valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in BJ’s Restaurants during the 4th quarter worth about $63,000. Finally, US Bancorp DE lifted its position in BJ’s Restaurants by 14.5% during the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,305 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $101,000 after buying an additional 418 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.