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

BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ:BJRI)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $63.91 and last traded at $60.60, with a volume of 326337 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $61.63.

Key Headlines Impacting BJ’s Restaurants

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

• Positive Sentiment: William Blair upgraded BJ’s Restaurants to outperform from market perform, signaling improved expectations for the company. Article: William Blair Upgrades BJ’s Restaurants (BJRI) to Outperform
• Positive Sentiment: Benchmark lifted its price target on BJRI to $68 from $50 and maintained a buy rating, suggesting limited near-term upside but validating the stock’s recent strength. Article: Benchmark Raises Price Target on BJ’s Restaurants (BJRI)
• Neutral Sentiment: BJ’s Restaurants announced it will report second-quarter 2026 earnings on July 30 after the market close and host a conference call the same day, which keeps investors focused on upcoming results. Article: BJ’s Restaurants Announces Date for Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Release and Conference Call
• Neutral Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha article discussed BJ’s Restaurants remaining attractive even after its recent run-up, reflecting ongoing market interest in the stock’s valuation and momentum. Article: BJ’s Restaurants Remains Tasty Even After Heating Up

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on shares of BJ’s Restaurants from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. William Blair upgraded BJ’s Restaurants from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. Benchmark upped 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. Weiss Ratings cut BJ’s Restaurants from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price objective on BJ’s Restaurants from $49.00 to $47.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. 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. According to MarketBeat, BJ’s Restaurants has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $44.25.

BJ’s Restaurants Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 0.31 and a quick ratio of 0.25. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $51.54 and its 200-day moving average is $43.71. The stock has a market cap of $1.42 billion, a PE ratio of 34.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 1.31.

BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The restaurant operator reported $0.57 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.61 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $358.12 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $356.97 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 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.59 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. will post 2.21 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at BJ’s Restaurants

In related news, Director Lea Anne Ottinger sold 2,792 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.50, for a total value of $149,372.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 39,701 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,124,003.50. This represents a 6.57% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Gregory S. Lynds sold 6,201 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.86, for a total value of $346,387.86. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 46,474 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,596,037.64. The trade was a 11.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 63,817 shares of company stock worth $3,384,688. Insiders own 2.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On BJ’s Restaurants

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. CWM LLC grew its holdings in shares of BJ’s Restaurants by 187.7% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 699 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 456 shares during the period. Quarry LP raised its holdings in BJ’s Restaurants by 1,618.3% in the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,031 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 971 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in BJ’s Restaurants by 39.3% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 939 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in BJ’s Restaurants in the fourth quarter valued at about $63,000. Finally, US Bancorp DE boosted its stake in BJ’s Restaurants by 14.5% during the third 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. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.95% of the company’s stock.

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.