Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.24 EPS

Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW) posted its earnings results on Friday. The specialty retailer reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.68 by ($0.24), FiscalAI reports. Lamb Weston had a net margin of 4.56% and a return on equity of 28.08%. The business had revenue of $1.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.59 billion.

Lamb Weston Price Performance

Lamb Weston stock opened at $59.40 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.05. Lamb Weston has a 52-week low of $47.87 and a 52-week high of $68.79. The firm has a market cap of $8.28 billion, a PE ratio of 28.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.46 and a beta of 0.44. The company’s 50 day moving average is $60.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $57.22.

Lamb Weston Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 28th. Investors of record on Friday, October 31st were paid a dividend of $0.37 per share. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 31st. Lamb Weston’s dividend payout ratio is presently 70.81%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Cfra Research upgraded shares of Lamb Weston to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 2nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Lamb Weston in a research report on Monday. Zacks Research lowered shares of Lamb Weston from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Lamb Weston in a research report on Wednesday, October 1st. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on shares of Lamb Weston from $60.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 1st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $65.20.

Institutional Trading of Lamb Weston

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LW. Danske Bank A S purchased a new position in Lamb Weston in the third quarter valued at $52,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in Lamb Weston by 47.1% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 953 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $55,000 after purchasing an additional 305 shares during the period. State of Wyoming acquired a new stake in Lamb Weston in the 2nd quarter valued at about $73,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas purchased a new position in shares of Lamb Weston in the 3rd quarter valued at about $73,000. Finally, iSAM Funds UK Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Lamb Weston in the 3rd quarter valued at about $76,000. 89.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Lamb Weston

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.