PJT Partners Inc. research snapshot
PJT AI stock analysis currently reads PJT Partners as a respected independent advisory boutique that delivered record second quarter and first half 2026 results and has recovered strongly from its mid-2026 pullback. At the August 4, 2026 data cutoff, PJT last traded near $167.45 with market capitalization near $4.35 billion on about 26 million shares. Business quality is solid because clients pay for senior-level restructuring, strategic M&A, shareholder engagement, and private fund placement advice on complex situations where conflict-free counsel matters more than balance sheet size. Q2 2026 revenue of $486.3 million and adjusted EPS of $1.97 both beat consensus, and management said every division is on track for record performance even as full-year growth is expected to moderate. 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
$167.45
Market cap
$4.35 billion
AI score
72 / 100
Rating
Boutique restructuring and strategic advisory franchise that just reported record second quarter and first half 2026 results, with earnings still tied to M&A and distressed cycle activity
Trend status
Above the 20-day, 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day averages after a strong post-earnings recovery, with neutral RSI near 53 and the stock up more than 10% over the past month
Data cutoff (updated monthly)
August 4, 2026
Informational use only. This page is not investment advice.
| Dimension | Conclusion | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Business quality | PJT 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. Q2 2026 and first half 2026 results were record highs across all segments. | High |
| Moat | Moat comes from founder Paul Taubman reputation, senior talent density built since the 2015 Blackstone spin-off, 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 |
| Management | Founder 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. A new $800 million share repurchase program was authorized in early 2026. The near-term management event is the announced CFO transition, with Arun Kalra succeeding Helen Meates effective October 1, 2026. | Medium-high |
| Financial trend | FY2025 GAAP revenues were about $1.71 billion and net income about $180 million. Q2 2026 revenue was $486.3 million, up about 20% year over year, with adjusted EPS of $1.97 versus the $1.57 consensus, and the company said every division is on track for record full-year performance. | High |
| Valuation | At $167.45, financial_rigor.py calculates about 22x TTM basic EPS of $7.63 and about 23x on GAAP diluted TTM EPS of $7.31, about 4.4x book value, and a 0.60% dividend yield based on $1.00 annualized dividends. | Medium |
| Technical trend | Barchart showed PJT at $167.45, above the 20-day average of $165.14, the 50-day average of $159.57, the 100-day average of $153.56, and the 200-day average of $160.74, with 14-day RSI near 53 and 14-day ATR near $7.01. The stock is up more than 10% over the past month. | Medium-high |
| Risk level | Main risks are restructuring and M&A cyclicality, compensation ratio pressure, the CFO transition, key banker departures from a smaller firm, mandate concentration, limited revenue diversification versus larger peers, and multiple compression if record activity moderates. | Medium-high |
| AI confidence | High 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 certainty | Medium-low certainty. PJT has a strong restructuring franchise and record momentum, but the stock remains cyclical and deal-driven, and the market has already re-priced it up sharply, leaving less obvious margin of safety than before the recovery. | Medium-low |
PJT AI stock forecast
The PJT AI stock forecast uses scenario math around the $167.45 quote. A three-year EPS framework using TTM EPS of about $7.31 produced a bullish value near $243, a base value near $169, and a bearish value near $94. The wide spread reflects the cyclical nature of restructuring and advisory earnings and the market expectation that record 2026 activity eventually moderates.
$210 to $260
More likely if restructuring activity and M&A volumes stay elevated, market share gains continue in complex situations, compensation stays controlled, buybacks continue, and investors apply a mid-20s earnings multiple on double-digit EPS growth.
$160 to $195
More likely if EPS grows at a mid-single-digit pace as record activity normalizes, compensation stays competitive, dividends and buybacks continue, and the market applies a high-teens to low-20s earnings multiple, roughly in line with the current analyst target range.
$85 to $115
More likely if restructuring and M&A volumes decline meaningfully, compensation ratios rise on softer revenue, key talent departs, the CFO transition causes disruption, or investors reprice PJT toward a mid-teens PE during a risk-off credit environment.
PJT AI technical analysis
PJT AI technical analysis is constructive as of the August 4, 2026 data cutoff. Barchart showed PJT at $167.45, above the 20-day average of $165.14, the 50-day average of $159.57, the 100-day average of $153.56, and the 200-day average of $160.74, with 14-day RSI near 53, 20-day average volume near 438,000 shares, and 14-day ATR near $7.01. The 52-week range is about $127.73 to $195.62, and the stock has recovered more than 10% over the past month after the mid-2026 pullback.
| Level | Value | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Current price | $167.45 | August 4, 2026 quote used for this static page and market cap verification. |
| Near support | $159 to $165 | The 50-day average near $159.57 and the 20-day average near $165.14 form the first support band. |
| Secondary support | $150 to $156 | The 100-day average near $153.56 and the prior consolidation around $150 provide deeper support levels. |
| Near resistance | $170 to $175 | The recent intraday high near $173.46 and the $170 round level are the immediate overhead zone. |
| Major resistance | $190 to $196 | The prior high zone and the 52-week high near $195.62 define the major breakout area. |
| 20-day SMA | $165.14 | Barchart reported PJT trading above the 20-day moving average with a 20-day change of about minus 3%. |
| 50-day SMA | $159.57 | The 50-day average is below the current price, with a 50-day change of about plus 7%. |
| 200-day SMA | $160.74 | PJT reclaimed the 200-day moving average, a positive medium-term signal after the mid-2026 dip. |
| Momentum | 14-day RSI near 53 | Momentum is neutral-to-positive and above the 50 midline, neither overbought nor oversold. |
| Volume | About 438,000 shares | The 20-day average volume of about 438,000 provides a liquidity baseline for judging breakouts and failed rebounds. |
| Volatility | 14-day ATR $7.01 | Normal daily movement of about $7.01 (about 4.2%) means position sizing should use ATR rather than a fixed dollar stop alone. |
| Invalidation | Close below $160, then $154 | A close below the 200-day average near $160.74 would weaken the near-term setup. A break below $154 would signal broader trend deterioration. |
PJT AI trading strategy
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, the CFO transition, and clear invalidation levels.
Watch for PJT to hold above the 20-day and 200-day averages near $165 and $161 and then clear the $175 area on above-average volume with constructive restructuring backlog or continued record advisory flow.
A close back below the 200-day average near $160, or a breakout that fails while financial sector stocks weaken, should invalidate the near-term trend setup.
If PJT pulls back toward $160 or the $153 to $156 zone 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.
Track advisory fees by category, restructuring mandates in process, compensation ratio, headcount and senior banker productivity, cash and investments, dividend growth, buyback pace, and the CFO transition timeline.
Reduce confidence if full-year guidance moderates more than expected, compensation ratios rise, key bankers leave, the CFO transition disrupts capital allocation, or valuation stays elevated relative to the earnings trajectory.
Investment research summary
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, and 2025 plus the first half of 2026 delivered record revenue and earnings.
The moat is founder and team reputation in restructuring, senior talent density 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.
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, the CFO transition disrupts execution, a few large mandates dominate and then disappear, or investors decide that a low-to-mid-20s PE is too rich for a small cyclical people business with limited revenue diversification.
Founder and CEO Paul J. Taubman has led since inception, and his prior Morgan Stanley career and Blackstone experience give credibility in both restructuring and strategic M&A. Capital allocation has emphasized talent investment, a new $800 million buyback program, and measured dividends. The ongoing test is whether the firm can scale beyond its founder-led culture and manage the announced CFO succession smoothly.
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 PJT itself said full-year revenue growth is expected to moderate.
At about 22x TTM basic EPS, PJT is priced as a premium restructuring franchise with growth expectations built in. After the recent recovery the margin of safety is more limited than before, and the three-scenario model shows a base case near the current price, with meaningful downside in a bear case if record activity fades.
Source-backed data
Every metric below includes a source and last verification date.
| Metric | Value | Source | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| PJT price | $167.45 quote used for market cap and valuation verification | TradingView and StockAnalysis | August 4, 2026 |
| Market capitalization | $4.35 billion, verified as $167.45 x about 26 million shares using financial_rigor.py (0.09% deviation) | TradingView, Macrotrends, and financial_rigor.py | August 4, 2026 |
| Shares outstanding | About 26.0 million shares for the public market cap basis; float of about 25.17 million shares | TradingView and financial_rigor.py | August 4, 2026 |
| FY2025 GAAP revenues | About $1.71 billion in GAAP revenues, up about 15% from 2024 | Macrotrends and TradingView | August 4, 2026 |
| FY2025 net income | About $180 million net income attributable to PJT Partners, up about 34% from 2024 | Macrotrends and TradingView | August 4, 2026 |
| Q2 2026 results | Record revenue $486.3 million (about +20% year over year), adjusted EPS $1.97 versus $1.57 consensus, GAAP diluted EPS $1.66, net income $45.8 million | TradingView, StockAnalysis, and company release July 28, 2026 | August 4, 2026 |
| TTM earnings | TTM revenue about $1.89 billion, TTM net income about $199.5 million, TTM basic EPS about $7.63 (TradingView) and GAAP diluted TTM EPS about $7.31 | StockAnalysis, TradingView, and Macrotrends | August 4, 2026 |
| Book value and dividend | Estimated book value per share near $38; quarterly dividend $0.25 for an annualized yield of about 0.60% | StockAnalysis balance sheet and TradingView dividend data | August 4, 2026 |
| 52-week range | $127.73 to $195.62, with the current price about 14% below the high and well above the low | StockAnalysis and TradingView | August 4, 2026 |
| Valuation math | About 22x PE on TTM basic EPS, about 4.4x book value, about 20% ROE proxy, and 0.60% dividend yield | financial_rigor.py valuation verification | August 4, 2026 |
| Technical indicators | 20-day SMA $165.14, 50-day SMA $159.57, 100-day SMA $153.56, 200-day SMA $160.74, 14-day RSI near 53, 14-day ATR $7.01, 20-day average volume about 438,000 | Barchart technical analysis | August 4, 2026 |
| Analyst targets | Consensus Hold with 12-month target about $187; individual targets ranged from about $171 to $200, with BMO at $194, UBS at $176, and KBW at $195 | StockAnalysis and TheFly via StockAnalysis news feed | August 3, 2026 |
| Three-scenario model | Bullish about $243, base about $169, bearish about $94 based on financial_rigor.py EPS growth and PE assumptions | financial_rigor.py three-scenario model | August 4, 2026 |
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, the CFO transition, talent moves, market volatility, or changes in investor risk appetite.
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