BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) Given New $80.00 Price Target at Benchmark

BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) had its target price raised by Benchmark from $68.00 to $80.00 in a research report released on Friday morning, MarketBeat Ratings reports. They currently have a buy rating on the restaurant operator’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of BJ’s Restaurants from $42.00 to $38.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Citigroup increased their price target 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. Mizuho set a $60.00 price target on BJ’s Restaurants in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Weiss Ratings cut BJ’s Restaurants from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, William Blair upgraded BJ’s Restaurants from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $56.88.

BJ’s Restaurants Stock Down 9.0%

Shares of NASDAQ BJRI opened at $67.61 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.42 billion, a PE ratio of 36.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a current ratio of 0.31, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. BJ’s Restaurants has a 1 year low of $28.46 and a 1 year high of $74.60. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $56.74 and its 200-day moving average is $45.62.

BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The restaurant operator reported $0.94 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $388.89 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $377.07 million. BJ’s Restaurants had a net margin of 2.86% and a return on equity of 13.21%. BJ’s Restaurants’s revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.97 EPS. Equities analysts expect that BJ’s Restaurants will post 2.25 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Brian S. Krakower sold 7,341 shares of BJ’s Restaurants stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.17, for a total transaction of $405,002.97. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 4,721 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $260,457.57. This trade represents a 60.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Gregory S. Lynds sold 6,201 shares of BJ’s Restaurants stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.86, for a total transaction of $346,387.86. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 46,474 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,596,037.64. This represents a 11.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 63,817 shares of company stock valued at $3,384,688. 2.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of BJ’s Restaurants

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. US Bancorp DE raised its stake 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 during the period. CWM LLC grew its stake in BJ’s Restaurants by 187.7% in the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 699 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 456 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in BJ’s Restaurants by 4.3% in the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 11,904 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $469,000 after acquiring an additional 494 shares during the period. Diversified Trust Co increased its holdings in shares of BJ’s Restaurants by 8.6% in the first quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 6,524 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $229,000 after acquiring an additional 517 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of 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 worth $3,194,000 after acquiring an additional 637 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.95% of the company’s stock.

More BJ’s Restaurants News

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

• Positive Sentiment: BJ’s reported fiscal Q2 revenue of $388.9 million, up 6.4% year over year and above the $377.1 million consensus estimate. Adjusted earnings were $0.94 per share, exceeding estimates ranging from $0.87 to $0.90. BJ’s Restaurants Fiscal Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Comparable restaurant sales increased 6.5%, indicating solid customer demand, and management raised its fiscal 2026 financial guidance. BJ’s Restaurants Fiscal Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Benchmark Co. raised its BJRI price target from $68 to $80 and upgraded the stock to “Buy,” implying approximately 18% upside from the referenced share price. Benchmark price target and rating update
• Neutral Sentiment: The earnings call and related coverage provide additional context on the quarter and the company’s outlook, but the available reports do not identify a major change beyond the raised guidance. BJRI Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Although results beat expectations, quarterly EPS declined from $0.97 in the prior-year period. With BJRI trading near its 52-week high and at a relatively rich earnings multiple, investors may be demanding stronger profit growth, helping explain the weaker share-price reaction.

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.