Meros Investment Management LP Takes Position in Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. $BBW

Meros Investment Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 146,956 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $9,004,000. Build-A-Bear Workshop accounts for 3.6% of Meros Investment Management LP’s portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. Meros Investment Management LP owned 1.13% of Build-A-Bear Workshop as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 6.7% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 535,791 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $34,939,000 after buying an additional 33,445 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its stake in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 199.7% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 28,858 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,768,000 after buying an additional 19,229 shares during the period. DNB Asset Management AS acquired a new position in Build-A-Bear Workshop in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,226,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Build-A-Bear Workshop in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $6,586,000. Finally, TD Private Client Wealth LLC increased its stake in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 263.8% in the 4th quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 1,084 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $66,000 after buying an additional 786 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.30% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on BBW. DA Davidson reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $60.00 price objective on shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $70.00.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Price Performance

NYSE BBW opened at $32.62 on Tuesday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $36.73 and its two-hundred day moving average is $47.42. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. has a 52-week low of $32.05 and a 52-week high of $75.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $409.07 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.64 and a beta of 1.07.

Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The specialty retailer reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.76 by $0.27. The business had revenue of $125.27 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $129.45 million. Build-A-Bear Workshop had a net margin of 10.48% and a return on equity of 32.15%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. will post 4.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 9th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 25th will be given a dividend of $0.23 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 25th. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. Build-A-Bear Workshop’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.55%.

Insider Activity at Build-A-Bear Workshop

In other news, Director George Carrara sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.52, for a total transaction of $103,560.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 11,277 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $389,282.04. This represents a 21.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 4.00% of the company’s stock.

About Build-A-Bear Workshop

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.