IFM Investors Pty Ltd Grows Holdings in Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW)

IFM Investors Pty Ltd raised its holdings in Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW) by 3.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 29,684 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,070 shares during the period. IFM Investors Pty Ltd’s holdings in Lamb Weston were worth $3,162,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. WFA Asset Management Corp increased its holdings in shares of Lamb Weston by 248.6% in the first quarter. WFA Asset Management Corp now owns 244 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares during the last quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC raised its stake in Lamb Weston by 113.4% during the third quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 303 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares during the period. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lamb Weston in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Vima LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lamb Weston during the 4th quarter worth approximately $50,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lamb Weston during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $51,000. 89.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lamb Weston Trading Up 0.4 %

LW traded up $0.35 during trading on Friday, reaching $83.85. The company had a trading volume of 2,462,698 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,422,213. Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. has a 12-month low of $77.41 and a 12-month high of $117.38. The company has a market cap of $12.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.19, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.81, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a current ratio of 1.19. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $95.51 and its 200 day simple moving average is $98.45.

Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 4th. The specialty retailer reported $1.20 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.40 by ($0.20). The business had revenue of $1.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.65 billion. Lamb Weston had a return on equity of 50.74% and a net margin of 16.71%. The business’s revenue was up 16.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.43 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. will post 5.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Lamb Weston Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 31st. Investors of record on Friday, May 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.36 per share. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.72%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 2nd. Lamb Weston’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.23%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LW has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. StockNews.com downgraded Lamb Weston from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, January 5th. Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Lamb Weston from $132.00 to $106.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 8th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on Lamb Weston from $130.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 5th. Barclays dropped their price target on Lamb Weston from $125.00 to $105.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 8th. Finally, BNP Paribas started coverage on Lamb Weston in a report on Monday, March 11th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $128.00 price objective for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $117.40.

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.