Bath & Body Works, Inc. (NYSE:BBWI) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Bath & Body Works, Inc. (NYSE:BBWI) has received a consensus rating of “Hold” from the eighteen ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $23.2857.

BBWI has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Bath & Body Works in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $21.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $18.00 target price (down previously from $43.00) on shares of Bath & Body Works in a report on Friday, November 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Bath & Body Works from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $39.00 to $17.00 in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Bank of America set a $26.00 price target on shares of Bath & Body Works in a report on Monday, November 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Bath & Body Works from $26.00 to $15.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 20th.

Bath & Body Works Trading Down 7.7%

Shares of BBWI opened at $22.51 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $21.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $23.84. Bath & Body Works has a twelve month low of $14.27 and a twelve month high of $41.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.61 billion, a PE ratio of 6.93, a P/E/G ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.54.

Bath & Body Works Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 20th will be given a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 20th. Bath & Body Works’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 24.62%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bath & Body Works

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Kera Capital Partners Inc. raised its holdings in Bath & Body Works by 68.3% during the fourth quarter. Kera Capital Partners Inc. now owns 13,891 shares of the company’s stock worth $303,000 after purchasing an additional 5,638 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in Bath & Body Works by 43.6% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 652,991 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,112,000 after purchasing an additional 198,324 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Bath & Body Works by 475.8% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 97,202 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,952,000 after buying an additional 80,322 shares in the last quarter. Alberta Investment Management Corp acquired a new position in shares of Bath & Body Works during the 4th quarter worth $1,135,000. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV boosted its position in shares of Bath & Body Works by 39.3% in the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 161,935 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,252,000 after buying an additional 45,713 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.14% of the company’s stock.

Bath & Body Works Company Profile

Bath & Body Works, Inc is a leading specialty retailer focused on personal care, home fragrance and complementary products. Through its flagship Bath & Body Works brand, the company offers a diverse assortment of shower gels, lotions, fragrance mists, candles and home fragrance items. Its product portfolio also includes the White Barn Candle Co range of premium scented candles and diffusers. Bath & Body Works serves consumers through a combination of brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce platforms, delivering seasonal collections, limited-edition releases and signature scent lines.

Founded in 1990 as part of Limited Brands (now L Brands), Bath & Body Works opened its first store in New Albany, Ohio, and quickly expanded across the United States.