Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. $BBW Stock: North Star Investment Management Corp. Reduces Stake

North Star Investment Management Corp. cut its stake in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) by 49.8% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 37,325 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 37,000 shares during the quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp.’s holdings in Build-A-Bear Workshop were worth $936,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its stake in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 2.8% during the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 23,418 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $877,000 after acquiring an additional 634 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 175.3% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,250 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 796 shares during the period. AXQ Capital LP boosted its holdings in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 26.1% in the second quarter. AXQ Capital LP now owns 8,167 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $250,000 after purchasing an additional 1,692 shares during the period. State of Wyoming bought a new position in Build-A-Bear Workshop in the second quarter worth approximately $59,000. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue grew its stake in Build-A-Bear Workshop by 33.8% in the third quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 10,688 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $267,000 after purchasing an additional 2,697 shares in the last quarter. 79.30% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on the company. DA Davidson reduced their price objective on Build-A-Bear Workshop from $60.00 to $37.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 28th. Weiss Ratings cut Build-A-Bear Workshop from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Friday, September 11th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Build-A-Bear Workshop from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $53.50.

Insider Buying and Selling at Build-A-Bear Workshop

In related news, Director Sharon John sold 6,818 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.03, for a total transaction of $272,924.54. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 181,653 shares in the company, valued at $7,271,569.59. This represents a 3.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 4.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Stock Up 9.1%

Shares of NYSE:BBW opened at $27.45 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $338.25 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.81 and a beta of 1.05. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. has a 52 week low of $23.19 and a 52 week high of $72.19. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $27.52 and a 200 day moving average of $37.84.

Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 27th. The specialty retailer reported $0.70 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $115.29 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $120.81 million. Build-A-Bear Workshop had a return on equity of 29.66% and a net margin of 9.96%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. will post 3.57 EPS for the current year.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 24th were given a $0.23 dividend. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 24th. Build-A-Bear Workshop’s payout ratio is presently 22.83%.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Company Profile

Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc is a specialty retailer that offers an interactive experience centered on creating and personalizing stuffed animals. Customers can select an animal, add sounds and accessories, and customize it through the company’s in-store and online platforms. Its merchandise includes plush animals, clothing, accessories, games, and other products connected to popular entertainment brands and licensed characters.

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Build-A-Bear operates through company-owned and franchised retail locations, as well as its e-commerce website and other retail channels.