Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW) Downgraded by StockNews.com to Hold

StockNews.com lowered shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Friday.

BBW has been the subject of several other research reports. DA Davidson restated a “buy” rating and issued a $50.00 price objective on shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop in a report on Friday, March 14th. Northland Securities raised their price target on Build-A-Bear Workshop from $38.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 6th.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Stock Performance

NYSE BBW opened at $37.39 on Friday. Build-A-Bear Workshop has a 52 week low of $23.63 and a 52 week high of $48.23. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $39.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $38.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $502.47 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.94 and a beta of 1.50.

Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 13th. The specialty retailer reported $1.59 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.52 by $0.07. Build-A-Bear Workshop had a net margin of 10.58% and a return on equity of 38.35%. The business had revenue of $150.45 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $147.53 million. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Build-A-Bear Workshop will post 3.71 EPS for the current year.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 27th. This is a positive change from Build-A-Bear Workshop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.35%. Build-A-Bear Workshop’s payout ratio is currently 23.10%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Sharon Price John sold 68,859 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.06, for a total value of $3,171,645.54. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 347,820 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,020,589.20. This represents a 16.53 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Vojin Todorovic sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.55, for a total transaction of $623,250.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 75,695 shares in the company, valued at $3,145,127.25. This represents a 16.54 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 161,666 shares of company stock valued at $7,010,081. 7.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Build-A-Bear Workshop

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of BBW. Squarepoint Ops LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 62.7% in the fourth quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 18,802 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $866,000 after purchasing an additional 7,245 shares in the last quarter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $585,000. Quantedge Capital Pte Ltd bought a new position in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop during the 4th quarter worth $1,750,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 55.6% in the fourth quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 55,611 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $2,560,000 after purchasing an additional 19,874 shares during the period. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG grew its position in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 52.9% in the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 11,888 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $547,000 after purchasing an additional 4,111 shares in the last quarter. 79.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Company Profile

Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc operates as a multi-channel retailer of plush animals and related products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Direct-to-Consumer, Commercial, and International Franchising. Its merchandise comprises various styles of plush products to be stuffed, pre-stuffed plush products, and sounds and scents that can be added to the stuffed animals, as well as range of clothing, shoes and accessories, and other toy and novelty items, including family sleepwear.