Liberty One Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW - Free Report) by 697.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 350,268 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 306,343 shares during the period. Lamb Weston comprises 2.5% of Liberty One Investment Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest holding. Liberty One Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.25% of Lamb Weston worth $23,408,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.
Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in LW. Nicola Wealth Management LTD. purchased a new stake in Lamb Weston during the third quarter worth about $6,474,000. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Lamb Weston during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,279,000. Clarkston Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in Lamb Weston by 108.7% in the 3rd quarter. Clarkston Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,107,929 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $201,207,000 after buying an additional 1,618,570 shares during the period. Insight Wealth Strategies LLC grew its stake in shares of Lamb Weston by 36.0% in the fourth quarter. Insight Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 61,950 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $4,140,000 after acquiring an additional 16,412 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Citigroup Inc. increased its position in shares of Lamb Weston by 39.3% during the third quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 156,242 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $10,115,000 after acquiring an additional 44,057 shares during the period. 89.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of research firms recently issued reports on LW. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Lamb Weston from $68.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, December 16th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Lamb Weston from $70.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, October 3rd. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Lamb Weston from $87.00 to $69.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 23rd. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Lamb Weston from $68.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Lamb Weston from $80.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lamb Weston presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $81.00.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on LW
Lamb Weston Stock Performance
Shares of LW traded up $1.07 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $60.14. 1,961,015 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,485,305. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $71.29 and its 200-day simple moving average is $69.41. Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $52.99 and a 52-week high of $110.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.58 billion, a PE ratio of 23.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 0.73. 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 - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 19th. The specialty retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.01 by ($0.35). The company had revenue of $1.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.67 billion. Lamb Weston had a return on equity of 27.82% and a net margin of 5.80%. The firm's revenue was down 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.45 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. will post 3.11 earnings per share for the current year.
Lamb Weston Increases Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 31st will be issued a $0.37 dividend. This is an increase from Lamb Weston's previous quarterly dividend of $0.36. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 31st. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.46%. Lamb Weston's payout ratio is presently 56.92%.
Insider Transactions at Lamb Weston
In related news, Director Charles A. Blixt bought 1,200 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, December 23rd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $63.25 per share, for a total transaction of $75,900.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 22,982 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,453,611.50. This trade represents a 5.51 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Robert A. Niblock purchased 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 13th. The stock was bought at an average price of $60.94 per share, with a total value of $182,820.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 26,406 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,609,181.64. This represents a 12.82 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 0.72% of the company's stock.
Lamb Weston Profile
(
Free Report)
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.
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