PJT Partners Inc. research snapshot

PJT AI Stock Analysis

PJT AI stock analysis currently reads PJT Partners as a respected independent advisory boutique focused on restructuring, strategic M&A, and private fund placement, with a stock that has pulled back significantly from its early 2026 high near $195. At the July 12, 2026 data cutoff, PJT last closed near $156.92 with market capitalization near $4.05 billion on about 25.8 million shares. Business quality is solid because clients pay for senior-level restructuring and strategic advice on complex situations where conflict-free counsel matters more than balance sheet size. The PJT AI stock forecast uses scenarios rather than a single target because restructuring and M&A advisory revenue, compensation costs, and valuation multiples all move with the credit and deal cycle. This page is informational research and not investment advice.

Current price

$156.92

Market cap

$4.05 billion

AI score

68 / 100

Rating

Boutique restructuring and strategic advisory franchise, with earnings highly tied to M&A and distressed cycle activity

Trend status

Near the 20-day and 50-day averages, below the 200-day average, with neutral RSI after pulling back from the 52-week high

Data cutoff (updated weekly)

July 12, 2026

Informational use only. This page is not investment advice.

Research quality check

information Richness
B-level information richness. PJT Partners has a public track record since its 2015 spin-off from Blackstone, quarterly filings, and Macrotrends and StockAnalysis coverage, but it is less covered than larger advisory peers like Evercore or Lazard.
bias Check
The main AI bias risk is over-weighting the restructuring cycle strength in 2025-2026. This analysis stresses the bearish case: M&A volume mean-reversion, restructuring fee compression, compensation ratio pressure, key-person risk at a boutique firm, and client concentration in large mandates.
ai Confidence
High for current price, market cap math, FY2025 revenues and net income, share count, and moving averages. Medium for forward returns because independent advisory earnings are cyclical, mandate-driven, and dependent on retaining senior talent.
investment Certainty
Medium-low. PJT is a high-quality boutique with a strong restructuring franchise, but investment certainty is lower than data confidence because revenue depends on deal closings, restructuring mandates, and the broader credit cycle rather than recurring subscription cash flows.

Quick verdict table

DimensionConclusionConfidence
Business qualityPJT Partners is a pure-play independent advisory firm where corporations, boards, creditors, and sponsors pay for senior judgment on restructuring, M&A, shareholder engagement, and private fund placement without the conflicts of a large banking balance sheet.High
MoatMoat comes from founder Paul Taubman reputation, senior talent density, long client relationships in restructuring, and independence from lending conflicts. The moat is real but people-centric and must be renewed every mandate cycle.Medium-high
ManagementFounder and CEO Paul J. Taubman has led since the 2015 spin-off, with deep restructuring and M&A expertise from a prior Morgan Stanley career. Capital allocation emphasizes reinvestment in talent and selective share repurchases.Medium-high
Financial trendFY2025 GAAP revenues were about $1.71 billion and net income about $180 million. Q1 2026 showed adjusted EPS of about $1.54 on revenues of $418 million, reflecting continued restructuring advisory demand.Medium
ValuationAt $156.92, financial_rigor.py calculates about 36.3x TTM EPS of $4.32, 3.5x book value, and a 0.64% dividend yield based on $0.25 quarterly dividends.Medium
Technical trendBarchart showed PJT near its 20-day average of $156.32 and 50-day average of $155.68, below the 200-day average of $161.63, with 14-day RSI near 50 and 14-day ATR near $6.71.Medium-high
Risk levelMain risks are restructuring and M&A cyclicality, compensation ratio pressure, key banker departures from a smaller firm, mandate concentration, limited revenue diversification versus larger peers, and multiple compression after the pullback from highs.Medium-high
AI confidenceHigh for disclosed historical facts and math. Medium for the forward forecast because restructuring and advisory revenue can swing sharply with mandate closings and credit market conditions.High data confidence
Investment certaintyMedium-low certainty. PJT has a strong restructuring franchise, but the stock has corrected from highs and faces an uncertain M&A and restructuring fee environment that makes near-term visibility lower than for more diversified peers.Medium-low

PJT AI stock forecast

PJT AI Stock Forecast Scenarios

The PJT AI stock forecast uses scenario math around the $156.92 quote. A three-year EPS framework using TTM EPS of $4.32 produced a bullish value near $170, a base value near $120, and a bearish value near $65. The wide spread reflects the cyclical nature of restructuring and advisory earnings and the compressed PE valuation.

Bullish case

$160 to $190

More likely if restructuring activity and M&A volumes remain elevated, market share gains continue in complex situations, compensation stays controlled, and investors apply a mid-20s earnings multiple on double-digit EPS growth.

Base case

$110 to $130

More likely if EPS grows modestly as the restructuring cycle normalizes, compensation stays competitive, dividends continue, and the market applies a high-teens to low-20s earnings multiple.

Bearish case

$55 to $75

More likely if restructuring and M&A volumes decline meaningfully, compensation ratios rise on softer revenue, key talent departs, or investors reprice PJT toward a low-teens PE during a risk-off credit environment.

PJT AI technical analysis

PJT AI Technical Analysis

PJT AI technical analysis is neutral to soft as of the July 12, 2026 data cutoff. Barchart showed PJT near its 20-day average of $156.32 and 50-day average of $155.68, below the 200-day average of $161.63, with 14-day RSI near 50, 20-day average volume near 561,000 shares, and 14-day ATR near $6.71. The 52-week range from public quotes is about $127.73 to $195.62.

LevelValueWhy it matters
Current price$156.92July 10, 2026 close used for this static page and market cap verification.
Near support$150 to $156The 100-day average near $150.65 and prior consolidation around $150 form the first support band.
Secondary support$128 to $140The 52-week low near $127.73 and the prior base around $140 provide deeper support levels.
Near resistance$162 to $168The 200-day average near $161.63 and the recent high near $162.42 are immediate overhead levels.
Major resistance$185 to $196The upper end of the prior range and the 52-week high near $195.62 define the major breakout zone.
20-day SMA$156.32Barchart reported PJT trading near the 20-day moving average with little directional bias.
50-day SMA$155.68The 50-day average is roughly flat and near the current price, suggesting a consolidation phase.
200-day SMA$161.63Barchart reported PJT trading below the 200-day moving average, a sign of medium-term softness.
Momentum14-day RSI 49.98Momentum is neutral and near the 50 midline, neither overbought nor oversold.
VolumeAbout 561,000 sharesThe 20-day average volume of about 561,000 provides a liquidity baseline for judging breakouts and failed rebounds.
Volatility14-day ATR $6.71Normal daily movement of about $6.71 means position sizing should use ATR rather than a fixed dollar stop alone.
InvalidationClose below $150, then $140A close below $150 would weaken the near-term setup. A break below $140 would signal broader trend deterioration.

PJT AI trading strategy

PJT AI Trading Strategy Framework

The PJT AI trading strategy is a rules-based framework for a cyclical independent restructuring and advisory boutique. It is not personalized advice and should be paired with live chart data, earnings dates, restructuring volume indicators, banker hiring news, capital return updates, and clear invalidation levels.

Trend-following setup

Watch for PJT to reclaim the 200-day average near $162 and then clear the $168 to $175 band on above-average volume with constructive restructuring backlog or broader financial sector strength.

A close back below the 50-day average, or a breakout that fails while financial sector stocks weaken, should invalidate the near-term trend setup.

Mean-reversion setup

If PJT pulls back toward $150 or the $140 area without a deterioration in restructuring mandate conversion or advisory pipeline, compare the price move with the earnings thesis rather than buying only on brand quality.

Do not treat boutique advisory prestige as a substitute for stop discipline because advisory stocks can reprice quickly when restructuring activity or risk appetite changes.

Fundamental monitor

Track advisory fees by category, restructuring mandates in process, compensation ratio, headcount and senior banker productivity, cash and investments, dividend growth, and buyback pace.

Reduce confidence if large restructuring mandates close below expectations, revenue growth reverts while costs stay sticky, key bankers leave, or valuation remains elevated relative to the earnings trajectory.

Investment research summary

Four-master Research Compression

Business essence

PJT Partners gets paid when companies, creditors, boards, and sponsors need independent advice on restructuring, complex M&A, shareholder engagement, and private fund placement. Clients pay for senior-level judgment on situations where conflict-free advice matters more than balance sheet capacity.

Moat

The moat is founder and team reputation in restructuring, senior talent density that has been built since the 2015 Blackstone spin-off, and independence from lending conflicts. Switching costs are soft because clients can hire another advisor, so PJT must keep winning mandates situation by situation.

Munger risk inversion

The thesis fails if restructuring activity collapses as credit markets ease, compensation absorbs too much of the upside, senior bankers leave for rivals or start their own boutiques, a few large mandates dominate and then disappear, or investors decide that a mid-30s PE is too rich for a small cyclical people business with limited revenue diversification.

Management

Founder and CEO Paul J. Taubman has led since inception. His prior Morgan Stanley career and Blackstone experience give credibility in both restructuring and strategic M&A. Capital allocation has emphasized talent investment and measured share repurchases. The ongoing test is whether the firm can scale beyond its founder-led culture.

Industry trend

Independent advisory boutiques have gained market share as clients seek conflict-free advice. Restructuring demand has been elevated in the 2025-2026 cycle, and long-term drivers include rising corporate debt maturity walls and sponsor portfolio company distress. However, the short-to-medium path is highly cyclical and tied to credit market conditions.

Valuation and margin of safety

At about 36x TTM EPS, PJT is priced as a premium restructuring franchise with growth expectations built in. Margin of safety is limited at current levels given the pullback from highs but still above the 52-week low, and the three-scenario model suggests more downside than upside from a pure statistical framework on base-case assumptions.

Source-backed data

PJT Data Table

Every metric below includes a source and last verification date.

MetricValueSourceLast verified
PJT price$156.92 close used for market cap and valuation verificationYahoo Finance and TradingViewJuly 12, 2026
Market capitalization$4.05 billion, verified as $156.92 x 25.8 million shares using financial_rigor.pyTradingView, Yahoo Finance, and financial_rigor.pyJuly 12, 2026
Shares outstandingAbout 25.8 million total shares; float of about 25.17 million sharesTradingView and Yahoo FinanceJuly 12, 2026
FY2025 GAAP revenuesAbout $1.71 billion in GAAP revenuesTradingView and company filingsJuly 12, 2026
FY2025 net incomeAbout $180 million net income attributable to PJT PartnersTradingView and MacrotrendsJuly 12, 2026
Q1 2026 resultsGAAP revenues $418.2 million, EPS $1.54, net income $60.5 millionTradingView earnings dataJuly 12, 2026
TTM earningsAbout $4.32 diluted EPS trailing twelve months based on P/E of 36.3x and $156.92 priceTradingView P/E data and financial_rigor.pyJuly 12, 2026
Book value and dividendEstimated book value per share near $45; quarterly dividend $0.25 for a forward yield of about 0.64%TradingView dividend dataJuly 12, 2026
52-week range$127.73 to $195.62, with the current price near the middle of the rangeYahoo Finance and TradingViewJuly 12, 2026
Valuation math36.3x PE, 3.5x book value, 9.6% ROE proxy, and 0.64% dividend yieldfinancial_rigor.py valuation verificationJuly 12, 2026
Technical indicators20-day SMA $156.32, 50-day SMA $155.68, 200-day SMA $161.63, 14-day RSI 49.98, 14-day ATR $6.71, 20-day average volume about 561,000Barchart technical analysisJuly 12, 2026
Three-scenario modelBullish about $170, base about $120, bearish about $65 based on financial_rigor.py EPS growth and PE assumptionsfinancial_rigor.py three-scenario modelJuly 12, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

This PJT AI stock analysis is an informational tool based on public filings, market data, technical indicators, and scenario math available at the stated data cutoff. It is not investment advice, a recommendation, or a guarantee of future returns. Forecast ranges can be wrong, and PJT Partners stock can move sharply after earnings, restructuring mandate flow changes, talent moves, market volatility, or changes in investor risk appetite.