Swiss National Bank Buys Shares of 24,300 Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. $BBW

Swiss National Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 24,300 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $910,000. Swiss National Bank owned 0.19% of Build-A-Bear Workshop as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of BBW. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 199.7% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 28,858 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,768,000 after purchasing an additional 19,229 shares during the last quarter. DNB Asset Management AS acquired a new position in Build-A-Bear Workshop in the fourth quarter valued at $1,226,000. Meros Investment Management LP purchased a new position in Build-A-Bear Workshop during the fourth quarter worth about $9,004,000. Inspire Investing LLC purchased a new position in Build-A-Bear Workshop during the first quarter worth about $1,586,000. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Build-A-Bear Workshop during the fourth quarter worth about $6,586,000. 79.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Price Performance

Build-A-Bear Workshop stock opened at $34.02 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $426.64 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.97 and a beta of 1.09. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. has a 12 month low of $29.35 and a 12 month high of $75.85. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $33.55 and its 200-day moving average is $41.78.

Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The specialty retailer reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.76 by $0.27. The business had revenue of $125.27 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $129.45 million. Build-A-Bear Workshop had a return on equity of 32.15% and a net margin of 10.48%. Research analysts anticipate that Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. will post 4.04 EPS for the current year.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 25th were given a dividend of $0.23 per share. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 25th. Build-A-Bear Workshop’s payout ratio is 21.55%.

Insider Activity

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BBW has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. DA Davidson restated a “buy” rating and issued a $60.00 price target on shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop in a report on Friday, May 29th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $70.00.

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.