Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the five analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $73.3333.

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on BBW shares. Weiss Ratings lowered Build-A-Bear Workshop from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd.

Institutional Trading of Build-A-Bear Workshop

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BBW. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its stake in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 68.1% during the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 501 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 203 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 7.0% during the fourth quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 3,392 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $208,000 after purchasing an additional 221 shares during the period. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC now owns 17,065 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $915,000 after purchasing an additional 356 shares in the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG boosted its position in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 10,770 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $660,000 after purchasing an additional 363 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rafferty Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 6.0% in the 2nd quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC now owns 7,284 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $376,000 after buying an additional 414 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.30% of the company’s stock.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE BBW opened at $36.88 on Friday. Build-A-Bear Workshop has a 1 year low of $34.08 and a 1 year high of $75.85. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $38.04 and its 200-day moving average is $49.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $463.89 million, a PE ratio of 9.24 and a beta of 1.06.

Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The specialty retailer reported $1.26 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.27 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $154.51 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $155.71 million. Build-A-Bear Workshop had a return on equity of 34.25% and a net margin of 9.85%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Build-A-Bear Workshop will post 3.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 26th were issued a $0.23 dividend. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. This is a boost from Build-A-Bear Workshop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 26th. Build-A-Bear Workshop’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 23.06%.

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.