BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.06 EPS

BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The restaurant operator reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.06, FiscalAI reports. BJ’s Restaurants had a return on equity of 12.92% and a net margin of 2.23%.The company had revenue of $355.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $353.71 million.

Here are the key takeaways from BJ’s Restaurants’ conference call:

• BJ’s delivered a strong quarter and year — Q4 same-store sales +2.6% (traffic +4.5%), restaurant-level margins 16.1%, and fiscal 2025 Adjusted EBITDA rose to $134.1M with Adjusted EPS up 40% to $0.66.
• Management issued 2026 guidance that implies continued profit growth — comparable restaurant sales of 1%–3%, restaurant-level operating profit of $221M–$233M, Adjusted EBITDA of $140M–$150M, and capital plan of $85M–$95M including up to two new restaurants in H2.
• Traffic gains are being driven by the Pizookie Meal Deal, seasonal LTOs and late‑night strength that bring new, younger guests, but those occasions have compressed average check levels, producing a trade‑off between traffic and ticket.
• Cost pressures remain a headwind — elevated commodity inflation (notably beef and produce), rising labor and workers’ compensation costs, and expected higher inflation in H1 2026 before moderating.
• Operational investments should support continued improvement — AI activity‑based labor rolled out to ~30% of stores with full deployment planned in 2026, ongoing remodels (~50% of pre‑2016 fleet refreshed), menu simplification and stronger social/influencer marketing driving NPS and retention gains.

BJ’s Restaurants Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of NASDAQ BJRI traded up $0.50 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $40.88. 615,375 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 332,945. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $42.31 and its 200-day simple moving average is $36.84. The company has a market cap of $864.20 million, a PE ratio of 30.51, a P/E/G ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.33. BJ’s Restaurants has a twelve month low of $28.46 and a twelve month high of $47.02. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.36 and a quick ratio of 0.30.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other BJ’s Restaurants news, EVP Brian S. Krakower sold 8,017 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.61, for a total transaction of $317,553.37. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 4,409 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $174,640.49. This trade represents a 64.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 4.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in BJ’s Restaurants by 15.6% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 37,189 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $1,274,000 after acquiring an additional 5,013 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new stake in shares of BJ’s Restaurants in the 1st quarter valued at about $291,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 4,045 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 53,574 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in BJ’s Restaurants by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 71,617 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $3,194,000 after buying an additional 637 shares during the last quarter. 99.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BJRI has been the topic of a number of research reports. Barclays increased their target price on shares of BJ’s Restaurants from $30.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Mizuho lifted their target price on BJ’s Restaurants from $39.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of BJ’s Restaurants in a report on Monday, December 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and issued a $30.00 price target on shares of BJ’s Restaurants in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded BJ’s Restaurants from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $40.83.

BJ’s Restaurants declared that its board has approved a share repurchase plan on Thursday, October 30th that allows the company to repurchase $75.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the restaurant operator to reacquire up to 11.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

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.