Bath & Body Works (NYSE:BBWI) Trading Up 4.2% – What’s Next?

Bath & Body Works, Inc. (NYSE:BBWI)’s share price was up 4.2% on Friday . The company traded as high as $21.71 and last traded at $21.5950. Approximately 795,930 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 83% from the average daily volume of 4,755,788 shares. The stock had previously closed at $20.73.

Bath & Body Works News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Bath & Body Works this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary on the company’s prior quarterly results and retailer peers provides context on BBWI’s recent fundamentals and operating environment; investors should weigh this alongside the legal developments below. Reflecting on beauty and cosmetics retailer stocks’ Q3 earnings: Bath and Body Works (NYSE:BBWI)
• Negative Sentiment: Lead plaintiff notices and a formal class action complaint have been filed alleging securities fraud tied to BBWI and certain executives; this is the central legal risk that could drive investor concern, potential settlements or litigation costs. Bath & Body Works, Inc. (NYSE:BBWI) Accused of Misleading Investors in Securities Fraud Class Action – BFA Law Notifies Investors that the Court Deadline is March 16
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple plaintiff law firms (Faruqi & Faruqi, Rosen, Kessler Topaz, Levi & Korsinsky, Bernstein Liebhard, etc.) have issued investor alerts and are soliciting lead‑plaintiff motions, with March deadlines — an indication of coordinated litigation interest and likely additional filings or consolidation activity. INVESTOR DEADLINE APPROACHING: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Investigates Claims on Behalf of Investors of Bath and Body Works
• Negative Sentiment: Notices highlight that the alleged class period covers June 4, 2024–Nov 19, 2025 and refer to a sharp prior share decline (reports cite a ~24% drop). That timeframe and alleged price move are the basis for damage claims and could magnify potential exposure. BBWI LOSS NOTICE: Bath & Body Works, Inc. Plummets 24% Triggering Securities Fraud Class Action

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Bath & Body Works in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Bath & Body Works from $35.00 to $21.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Robert W. Baird set a $20.00 price objective on shares of Bath & Body Works in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Bath & Body Works from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Bath & Body Works from $33.00 to $25.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and thirteen have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Bath & Body Works currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $23.53.

Bath & Body Works Stock Up 4.1%

The firm has a market cap of $4.42 billion, a PE ratio of 6.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.51. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $20.25 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $24.84.

Bath & Body Works (NYSE:BBWI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 20th. The company reported $0.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.40 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.64 billion. Bath & Body Works had a net margin of 9.50% and a negative return on equity of 47.35%. Bath & Body Works’s quarterly revenue was down 1.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.49 earnings per share. Bath & Body Works has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.870- EPS and its Q4 2025 guidance at 1.700- EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Bath & Body Works, Inc. will post 3.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Bath & Body Works Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 21st were paid a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 21st. Bath & Body Works’s payout ratio is 24.62%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Bath & Body Works news, Director Francis Hondal acquired 3,343 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $14.99 per share, for a total transaction of $50,111.57. Following the acquisition, the director owned 21,554 shares in the company, valued at approximately $323,094.46. This trade represents a 18.36% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Lucy Brady acquired 3,470 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The shares were bought at an average price of $14.40 per share, for a total transaction of $49,968.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 17,482 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $251,740.80. This represents a 24.76% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders acquired 33,513 shares of company stock valued at $500,442. Company insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Bath & Body Works

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in BBWI. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in Bath & Body Works by 2,204.1% in the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 5,174,370 shares of the company’s stock valued at $133,292,000 after purchasing an additional 4,949,796 shares during the last quarter. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. grew its holdings in Bath & Body Works by 553.2% during the third quarter. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. now owns 3,714,499 shares of the company’s stock worth $95,685,000 after acquiring an additional 3,145,797 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Bath & Body Works during the second quarter valued at approximately $57,746,000. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. acquired a new position in Bath & Body Works in the third quarter valued at approximately $43,113,000. Finally, Cooper Creek Partners Management LLC boosted its position in Bath & Body Works by 42.7% in the 2nd quarter. Cooper Creek Partners Management LLC now owns 5,409,919 shares of the company’s stock worth $162,081,000 after purchasing an additional 1,619,276 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.14% of the company’s stock.

Bath & Body Works Company Profile

Bath & Body Works, Inc is a leading specialty retailer focused on personal care, home fragrance and complementary products. Through its flagship Bath & Body Works brand, the company offers a diverse assortment of shower gels, lotions, fragrance mists, candles and home fragrance items. Its product portfolio also includes the White Barn Candle Co range of premium scented candles and diffusers. Bath & Body Works serves consumers through a combination of brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce platforms, delivering seasonal collections, limited-edition releases and signature scent lines.

Founded in 1990 as part of Limited Brands (now L Brands), Bath & Body Works opened its first store in New Albany, Ohio, and quickly expanded across the United States.