Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW) Stock Rating Lowered by StockNews.com

Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW) was downgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Wednesday.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on BBW. Northland Securities lifted their price objective on shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop from $38.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 6th. DA Davidson lifted their price objective on shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop from $40.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 6th.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Stock Performance

NYSE:BBW opened at $39.55 on Wednesday. Build-A-Bear Workshop has a one year low of $23.49 and a one year high of $48.23. The firm has a market cap of $531.50 million, a P/E ratio of 10.52 and a beta of 1.50. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $41.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $37.88.

Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 5th. The specialty retailer reported $0.73 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.70 by $0.03. Build-A-Bear Workshop had a net margin of 10.58% and a return on equity of 38.35%. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.53 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Build-A-Bear Workshop will post 3.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Build-A-Bear Workshop

In other Build-A-Bear Workshop news, CEO Sharon Price John sold 68,859 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.06, for a total transaction of $3,171,645.54. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 347,820 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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 SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Eric R. Fencl sold 9,074 shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.28, for a total value of $365,500.72. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 128,004 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,156,001.12. The trade was a 6.62 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 175,713 shares of company stock worth $7,580,622. Company insiders own 7.90% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Build-A-Bear Workshop

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BBW. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 17.6% during the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,812 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $201,000 after buying an additional 871 shares in the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its position in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 3.3% during the third quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 23,483 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $807,000 after buying an additional 754 shares in the last quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP lifted its position in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 32.0% during the third quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 23,437 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $806,000 after buying an additional 5,680 shares in the last quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 1.9% during the third quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 22,397 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $770,000 after acquiring an additional 408 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Banque Cantonale Vaudoise acquired a new stake in Build-A-Bear Workshop during the third quarter worth $306,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.30% of the company’s stock.

About Build-A-Bear Workshop

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.