Zacks Research Has Bullish Estimate for BJRI FY2026 Earnings

BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ:BJRI) – Analysts at Zacks Research increased their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for BJ’s Restaurants in a report released on Thursday, August 13th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the restaurant operator will earn $2.30 per share for the year, up from their prior forecast of $2.19. Zacks Research has a “Strong-Buy” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for BJ’s Restaurants’ current full-year earnings is $2.35 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for BJ’s Restaurants’ Q4 2026 earnings at $0.63 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.66 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.02 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.22 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.69 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $2.59 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $1.13 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $2.80 EPS.

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on BJRI. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on BJ’s Restaurants from $40.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Mizuho set a $74.00 price objective on shares of BJ’s Restaurants in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Benchmark upped their price target on shares of BJ’s Restaurants from $68.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. William Blair upgraded BJ’s Restaurants from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of BJ’s Restaurants in a research report on Friday, August 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $56.88.

BJ’s Restaurants Trading Down 4.3%

Shares of BJ’s Restaurants stock opened at $66.67 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $60.91 and a two-hundred day moving average of $47.14. The stock has a market cap of $1.42 billion, a PE ratio of 35.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a current ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. BJ’s Restaurants has a 12-month low of $28.46 and a 12-month high of $74.60.

BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ:BJRI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The restaurant operator reported $0.94 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $388.89 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $377.07 million. BJ’s Restaurants had a net margin of 2.86% and a return on equity of 12.93%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.97 EPS.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of BJ’s Restaurants by 15.6% during 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 in the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new position in BJ’s Restaurants during the 1st quarter valued at $291,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased 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 worth $788,000 after purchasing an additional 4,045 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in shares of BJ’s Restaurants by 22.5% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 291,957 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $13,021,000 after purchasing an additional 53,574 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in BJ’s Restaurants by 0.9% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 71,617 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $3,194,000 after buying an additional 637 shares during the last quarter. 99.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at BJ’s Restaurants

In other BJ’s Restaurants news, Director Noah A. Elbogen sold 7,535 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.14, for a total transaction of $528,504.90. Following the transaction, the director owned 71,655 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,025,881.70. This trade represents a 9.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Gregory S. Lynds sold 21,704 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.81, for a total value of $1,493,452.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 24,770 shares in the company, valued at $1,704,423.70. This trade represents a 46.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 131,601 shares of company stock valued at $8,033,014 in the last quarter. Insiders own 2.40% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about BJ’s Restaurants

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised several earnings forecasts and maintained a “Strong-Buy” rating. Estimates increased for FY2026 EPS to $2.30 from $2.19, FY2027 EPS to $2.59 from $2.47, and FY2028 EPS to $2.80 from $2.68. Quarterly estimates were also raised for Q1 2027, Q2 2027, Q3 2027 and Q2 2028, suggesting improving expectations for BJRI’s longer-term profitability.
• Positive Sentiment: The restaurant industry continues to show steady sales growth, with value-oriented dining and chain adaptations supporting demand. BJRI was included among restaurant stocks highlighted by Zacks as potential buys. 4 Stocks to Buy as Restaurant Industry Continues to Make Steady Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: The latest estimate changes were mixed: Zacks lowered its Q4 2026 EPS forecast to $0.63 from $0.65 and Q4 2027 EPS to $0.69 from $0.70. However, the increases in full-year and several other quarterly forecasts outweigh these modest reductions.
• Negative Sentiment: Director Noah Elbogen sold 7,535 shares for approximately $528,505, reducing his direct ownership by 9.52%. He still retains 71,655 shares, so the transaction may reflect personal liquidity rather than a broad change in insider confidence, but it adds some selling pressure. Noah Elbogen Sells 7,535 Shares of BJ’s Restaurants Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation appears demanding: BJRI trades at roughly 36 times earnings and its consensus analyst rating remains “Hold,” with an average price target below the current trading range. This raises the risk of profit-taking if future results fail to justify the elevated multiple.

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.