Meros Investment Management LP Invests $9 Million in Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. $BBW

Meros Investment Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund acquired 146,956 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $9,004,000. Build-A-Bear Workshop comprises 3.6% of Meros Investment Management LP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest position.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in BBW. Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 68.1% during the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 501 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 203 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 453.1% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 542 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 444 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 163.0% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 668 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 414 shares during the period. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its holdings in shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop by 166.7% during the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 800 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the period. 79.30% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Build-A-Bear Workshop

In other news, Director George Carrara sold 3,000 shares of Build-A-Bear Workshop stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the director owned 11,277 shares in the company, valued at $389,282.04. The trade was a 21.01% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 4.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Trading Up 1.5%

BBW opened at $32.62 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $409.07 million, a PE ratio of 7.64 and a beta of 1.07. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. has a 1-year low of $32.05 and a 1-year high of $75.85. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $36.73 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $47.42.

Build-A-Bear Workshop (NYSE:BBW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The specialty retailer reported $1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.76 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $125.27 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $129.45 million. Build-A-Bear Workshop had a net margin of 10.48% and a return on equity of 32.15%. On average, research analysts predict that Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. will post 4.04 EPS for the current year.

Build-A-Bear Workshop Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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 is Thursday, June 25th. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. Build-A-Bear Workshop’s payout ratio is currently 21.55%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Build-A-Bear Workshop 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.