Vanguard Group Inc. Lowers Stock Holdings in Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. $BBW

Vanguard Group Inc. reduced its position in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) by 8.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 843,548 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 76,693 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned about 0.07% of Build-A-Bear Workshop worth $51,684,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of BBW. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its position in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 68.1% during the third quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 501 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 203 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 453.1% in the third 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 period. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 163.0% in the fourth 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 period. State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new position in Build-A-Bear Workshop in the third quarter valued at $45,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd boosted its holdings in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 214.3% in the third 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 period. 79.30% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on BBW. Weiss Ratings lowered Build-A-Bear Workshop from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. Zacks Research upgraded Build-A-Bear Workshop from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Build-A-Bear Workshop presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $73.33.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Trading Down 2.7%

NYSE:BBW opened at $35.25 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $443.45 million, a PE ratio of 8.83 and a beta of 1.06. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $38.79 and a 200 day moving average price of $49.65. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. has a 12-month low of $34.29 and a 12-month high of $75.85.

Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The specialty retailer reported $1.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.27 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $154.51 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $155.71 million. Build-A-Bear Workshop had a net margin of 9.85% and a return on equity of 34.25%. Equities analysts forecast that Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. will post 3.86 EPS for the current year.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Increases Dividend

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

Build-A-Bear Workshop Company Profile

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.