Bath & Body Works, Inc. (NYSE:BBWI) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Bath & Body Works, Inc. (NYSE:BBWI) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the eighteen analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $45.06.

BBWI has been the topic of several recent research reports. Argus reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Bath & Body Works in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $43.00 target price on shares of Bath & Body Works in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Bath & Body Works in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on shares of Bath & Body Works from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of Bath & Body Works from $45.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 28th.

Bath & Body Works Trading Up 4.0 %

BBWI opened at $31.85 on Friday. Bath & Body Works has a 12-month low of $26.21 and a 12-month high of $52.99. The company has a market cap of $6.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.77, a PEG ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 1.89. The company’s 50 day moving average is $34.84 and its 200 day moving average is $34.16.

Bath & Body Works (NYSE:BBWI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 27th. The company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.04 by $0.05. Bath & Body Works had a net margin of 12.43% and a negative return on equity of 44.03%. The firm had revenue of $2.79 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.78 billion. As a group, analysts predict that Bath & Body Works will post 3.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Bath & Body Works announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Thursday, February 27th that allows the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to reacquire up to 6.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Bath & Body Works Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 21st were given a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 21st. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.51%. Bath & Body Works’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.98%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Bath & Body Works

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Bath & Body Works during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. raised its position in Bath & Body Works by 99.7% during the fourth quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 659 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 329 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its stake in shares of Bath & Body Works by 5,270.0% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 1,074 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 1,054 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in shares of Bath & Body Works by 58.8% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 905 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 335 shares during the period. Finally, Lindbrook Capital LLC increased its position in shares of Bath & Body Works by 81.9% during the 4th quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 957 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 431 shares during the last quarter. 95.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Bath & Body Works Company Profile

Bath & Body Works, Inc is a specialty retailers and home to America’s Favorite Fragrances, offering a breadth of exclusive fragrances for the body and home, including the selling collections for fine fragrance mist, body lotion and body cream, 3-wick candles, home fragrance diffusers and liquid hand soap.