BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) Reaches New 12-Month High – Here’s What Happened

BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ:BJRI)’s share price hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $71.21 and last traded at $70.5810, with a volume of 43521 shares. The stock had previously closed at $68.95.

Key Headlines Impacting BJ’s Restaurants

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

• Positive Sentiment: Comparable sales increased 6.5%. The solid same-store sales growth indicates continued customer demand and was a key positive in the quarterly update. BJ’s Restaurants fiscal second-quarter results
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings and revenue beat expectations. BJRI reported adjusted earnings of $0.94 per share, above estimates ranging from $0.87 to $0.90, while revenue of $388.89 million exceeded the $377.07 million consensus forecast. BJ’s Restaurants earnings and revenue estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised fiscal 2026 guidance. The upgraded outlook suggests executives expect operating trends and sales momentum to remain favorable, improving investor confidence in future results. BJ’s Restaurants fiscal second-quarter report

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently commented on BJRI shares. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of BJ’s Restaurants from $42.00 to $38.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. William Blair raised BJ’s Restaurants from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Benchmark raised their price target on BJ’s Restaurants from $50.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on BJ’s Restaurants from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on BJ’s Restaurants from $47.00 to $68.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $49.38.

BJ’s Restaurants Stock Performance

The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $56.28 and a 200 day simple moving average of $45.46. The company has a current ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The stock has a market cap of $1.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.51, a PEG ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.31.

BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The restaurant operator reported $0.94 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $388.89 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $377.07 million. BJ’s Restaurants had a return on equity of 13.48% and a net margin of 3.15%.BJ’s Restaurants’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.97 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. will post 2.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at BJ’s Restaurants

In other news, EVP Kendra D. Miller sold 19,261 shares of BJ’s Restaurants stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.60, for a total transaction of $1,070,911.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 28,599 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,590,104.40. The trade was a 40.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CMO Heidi Rogers sold 3,090 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.21, for a total transaction of $164,418.90. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 9,265 shares in the company, valued at approximately $492,990.65. The trade was a 25.01% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 63,817 shares of company stock valued at $3,384,688 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 2.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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

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.