Vanguard Group Inc. Reduces Stock Position in Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. $BBW

Vanguard Group Inc. lessened its position in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) by 8.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 843,548 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 76,693 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 6.51% of Build-A-Bear Workshop worth $51,684,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. IFP Advisors Inc grew its stake in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 68.1% during the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 501 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 203 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its stake in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 453.1% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 542 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 444 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 163.0% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 668 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 414 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd grew its stake in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 214.3% during the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 682 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 465 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new stake in Build-A-Bear Workshop during the 3rd quarter valued at about $45,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.30% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BBW has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Zacks Research upgraded Build-A-Bear Workshop from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Weiss Ratings downgraded Build-A-Bear Workshop from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Build-A-Bear Workshop has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $73.33.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Price Performance

Shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop stock opened at $35.25 on Friday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $38.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $49.65. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. has a 12 month low of $34.29 and a 12 month high of $75.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $443.45 million, a P/E ratio of 8.83 and a beta of 1.06.

Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The specialty retailer reported $1.26 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.27 by ($0.01). Build-A-Bear Workshop had a net margin of 9.85% and a return on equity of 34.25%. The firm had revenue of $154.51 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $155.71 million. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. will post 3.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 26th were given a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 26th. This is a positive change from Build-A-Bear Workshop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. Build-A-Bear Workshop’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 23.06%.

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.