Lamb Weston Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:LW)

Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW - Get Free Report) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Thursday. Investors acquired 10,142 put options on the stock. This represents an increase of 73% compared to the average volume of 5,851 put options.

Lamb Weston Stock Up 0.7 %

NYSE LW traded up $0.43 during trading on Thursday, hitting $62.11. 1,909,369 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,515,233. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $67.10 and a 200 day simple moving average of $82.66. Lamb Weston has a 12 month low of $52.99 and a 12 month high of $111.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.92. The company has a market capitalization of $8.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.29, a PEG ratio of 5.90 and a beta of 0.74.

Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The specialty retailer reported $0.78 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.24 by ($0.46). Lamb Weston had a return on equity of 44.06% and a net margin of 11.22%. The business had revenue of $1.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.71 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Lamb Weston will post 4.54 EPS for the current year.

Lamb Weston Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.36 per share. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.32%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 2nd. Lamb Weston's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.23%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on LW shares. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Lamb Weston from $98.00 to $70.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Consumer Edge cut Lamb Weston from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, July 26th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Lamb Weston from $96.00 to $70.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered shares of Lamb Weston from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $115.00 to $60.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price objective on Lamb Weston from $106.00 to $104.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $87.70.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director William G. Jurgensen bought 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 26th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $55.43 per share, with a total value of $554,300.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 173,377 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,610,287.11. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 1.66% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Lamb Weston

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. WFA Asset Management Corp raised its stake in Lamb Weston by 248.6% in the 1st quarter. WFA Asset Management Corp now owns 244 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Lamb Weston in the first quarter valued at about $28,000. Crewe Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Lamb Weston by 357.5% during the 2nd quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 334 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 261 shares during the last quarter. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Lamb Weston in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lamb Weston by 135.8% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 382 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 220 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.56% of the company's stock.

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.