Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW) Short Interest Update

Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant drop in short interest during the month of March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 7,700,000 shares, a drop of 25.7% from the February 28th total of 10,370,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 2,910,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.6 days. Approximately 5.5% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Lamb Weston Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE:LW traded down $0.09 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $53.21. The company's stock had a trading volume of 4,601,200 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,803,650. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $55.59 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $65.81. Lamb Weston has a fifty-two week low of $47.90 and a fifty-two week high of $105.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.03, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.26, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.35.

Lamb Weston Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 2nd will be paid a $0.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 2nd. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.78%. Lamb Weston's dividend payout ratio is currently 58.50%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on LW shares. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on Lamb Weston in a report on Tuesday, December 3rd. They set a "market perform" rating and a $85.00 price objective on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on shares of Lamb Weston from $80.00 to $68.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 20th. Citigroup cut shares of Lamb Weston from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and decreased their price target for the company from $90.00 to $68.00 in a research report on Friday, December 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "hold" rating and set a $57.00 price target on shares of Lamb Weston in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Lamb Weston from $68.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, December 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $74.55.

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Insider Activity at Lamb Weston

In other Lamb Weston news, Director Robert A. Niblock purchased 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 13th. The shares were bought at an average price of $60.94 per share, for a total transaction of $182,820.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 26,406 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,609,181.64. This trade represents a 12.82 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.72% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of LW. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its holdings in shares of Lamb Weston by 9.8% during the fourth quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 230,314 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $15,392,000 after purchasing an additional 20,634 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in Lamb Weston by 25.9% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 10,172 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $680,000 after buying an additional 2,090 shares during the period. Keystone Financial Services LLC bought a new position in Lamb Weston in the fourth quarter worth approximately $623,000. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH acquired a new stake in Lamb Weston in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $823,000. Finally, Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH bought a new stake in shares of Lamb Weston during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,453,000. 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.