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Investing.com - UBS lowered its price target on BJ’s Wholesale (NYSE:BJ) to $125.00 from $135.00 while maintaining a Buy rating, citing near-term macroeconomic challenges. According to InvestingPro data, the stock currently trades at a P/E ratio of 22.4x and has seen a 7.5% decline in the past week, with analyst targets ranging from $70 to $140.
The firm noted that BJ’s same-store sales were supported by inclement weather in May, with sequential improvement throughout the period and strong performance in July. The retailer is making investments in its business and seeing positive results from its Fresh 2.0 initiative, while maintaining strong membership dynamics. The company’s financial health score is rated as "GOOD" by InvestingPro, with revenue reaching $20.9 billion in the last twelve months.
UBS highlighted increasing consumer concerns across all income levels about the macroeconomic environment, suggesting potential pressure on spending in upcoming quarters. Rising tariff costs are also beginning to impact the business, potentially requiring price investments in the second half of the year if the retail environment becomes more promotional. InvestingPro analysis reveals that six analysts have recently revised their earnings expectations downward, though the company maintains a healthy gross profit margin of 18.7%.
Despite these challenges, UBS believes BJ’s value proposition positions it well in the current environment and expects the company to gain incremental market share even if the next few quarters show volatility. The firm remains confident in BJ’s long-term ability to return to its low-to-mid-single-digit same-store sales growth and high-single-digit to low-double-digit EPS algorithm.
UBS now projects BJ’s will reach this growth threshold in fiscal year 2027, one year later than previously forecast.
In other recent news, BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings Inc. reported its second-quarter earnings for fiscal year 2026, revealing a mixed performance. The company achieved an earnings per share of $1.14, surpassing the forecast of $1.10, but its revenue fell short, registering $5.38 billion against an expected $5.49 billion. Despite these earnings beating expectations, BJ’s Wholesale raised its full-year guidance, but its stock still faced a decline. The retailer saw a 2.3% increase in comparable sales, excluding gasoline, driven by traffic growth and market share gains, as noted by Goldman Sachs. DA Davidson maintained a Buy rating on the stock but lowered its price target to $123.00 from $140.00, citing missed consensus comparable sales estimates. Goldman Sachs also maintained its Buy rating, highlighting improved performance due to normalized weather conditions. These developments reflect recent shifts in the company’s financial outlook and market positioning.
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