Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. Buys 956 Shares of Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW)

Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW) by 537.1% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 1,134 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 956 shares during the period. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Lamb Weston were worth $123,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its stake in shares of Lamb Weston by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 12,837 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,388,000 after acquiring an additional 462 shares in the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new stake in shares of Lamb Weston during the 4th quarter worth about $951,000. Ingalls & Snyder LLC bought a new stake in Lamb Weston during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $210,000. Cerity Partners LLC boosted its stake in Lamb Weston by 40.7% during the 4th quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 8,403 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $908,000 after purchasing an additional 2,432 shares during the period. Finally, Sandy Spring Bank boosted its stake in Lamb Weston by 74.1% during the 4th quarter. Sandy Spring Bank now owns 9,079 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $981,000 after purchasing an additional 3,864 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 89.56% of the company’s stock.

Lamb Weston Price Performance

Shares of LW stock opened at $81.00 on Friday. Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. has a 12 month low of $77.41 and a 12 month high of $117.38. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.81. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $97.80 and a two-hundred day moving average of $98.85. The company has a market capitalization of $11.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.81, a P/E/G ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 0.72.

Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 4th. The specialty retailer reported $1.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.40 by ($0.20). Lamb Weston had a return on equity of 50.74% and a net margin of 16.71%. The company had revenue of $1.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.65 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.43 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 16.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. will post 5.53 EPS for the current year.

Lamb Weston Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 3rd will be issued a $0.36 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 2nd. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.78%. Lamb Weston’s payout ratio is presently 19.23%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on LW shares. BNP Paribas started coverage on Lamb Weston in a research note on Monday, March 11th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $128.00 target price for the company. Barclays decreased their target price on Lamb Weston from $125.00 to $105.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 8th. Citigroup decreased their target price on Lamb Weston from $132.00 to $106.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 8th. Bank of America decreased their target price on Lamb Weston from $138.00 to $113.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Lamb Weston from $128.00 to $98.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $117.40.

Lamb Weston Company Profile

Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc produces, distributes, and markets frozen potato products worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Global, Foodservice, Retail, and Other. It offers frozen potatoes, commercial ingredients, and appetizers under the Lamb Weston brand, as well as under various customer labels.