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

Shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and five have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $64.75.

BBW has been the subject of several research analyst reports. DA Davidson lowered their price objective on shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop from $85.00 to $70.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 5th. CJS Securities started coverage on Build-A-Bear Workshop in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. They issued a “market outperform” rating and a $70.00 target price for the company. Zacks Research lowered Build-A-Bear Workshop from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday. Wall Street Zen cut Build-A-Bear Workshop from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd.

Institutional Trading of Build-A-Bear Workshop

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 10.3% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 37,339 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,388,000 after purchasing an additional 3,490 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 6.4% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 7,533 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $280,000 after purchasing an additional 456 shares in the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp purchased a new position in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop in the first quarter worth $199,000. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new position in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop in the first quarter worth $267,000. Finally, Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new position in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop during the second quarter valued at $555,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.30% of the company’s stock.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Stock Down 1.7%

NYSE:BBW opened at $59.38 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $59.61 and its 200 day simple moving average is $58.47. The stock has a market cap of $768.97 million, a P/E ratio of 13.65 and a beta of 1.07. Build-A-Bear Workshop has a twelve month low of $32.55 and a twelve month high of $75.85.

Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, December 4th. The specialty retailer reported $0.62 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.55 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $122.68 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $124.28 million. Build-A-Bear Workshop had a net margin of 10.93% and a return on equity of 38.43%. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.73 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Build-A-Bear Workshop will post 3.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Dividend Announcement

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

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.