Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW) Price Target Cut to $63.00 by Analysts at Stifel Nicolaus

Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW) had its price objective reduced by Stifel Nicolaus from $68.00 to $63.00 in a research report report published on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a hold rating on the specialty retailer’s stock.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Lamb Weston from $80.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. StockNews.com upgraded Lamb Weston to a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, February 24th. Barclays dropped their target price on Lamb Weston from $87.00 to $69.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Lamb Weston from $72.00 to $66.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and set a $57.00 price objective on shares of Lamb Weston in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $73.09.

Lamb Weston Trading Down 0.8 %

NYSE:LW opened at $59.11 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $55.22 and its two-hundred day moving average is $65.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.43 billion, a PE ratio of 23.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.48. Lamb Weston has a 12 month low of $47.90 and a 12 month high of $89.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.26, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 0.53.

Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 3rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.10 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.87 by $0.23. Lamb Weston had a return on equity of 27.82% and a net margin of 5.80%. The firm had revenue of $1.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.50 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.20 EPS. Lamb Weston’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Lamb Weston will post 3.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lamb Weston Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.37 per share. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.50%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 2nd. Lamb Weston’s dividend payout ratio is currently 58.50%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Lamb Weston news, Director Robert A. Niblock acquired 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 13th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $60.94 per share, for a total transaction of $182,820.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 26,406 shares in the company, valued at $1,609,181.64. The trade was a 12.82 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.72% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lamb Weston

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in LW. West Oak Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lamb Weston by 155.7% in the 4th quarter. West Oak Capital LLC now owns 450 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 274 shares during the last quarter. Putney Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Lamb Weston in the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lamb Weston during the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Lamb Weston during the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Lamb Weston in the 4th quarter worth about $47,000. 89.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.