Jan Eli Craps Buys 50,000 Shares of Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW) Stock

Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW) insider Jan Eli Craps purchased 50,000 shares of Lamb Weston stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $48.65 per share, with a total value of $2,432,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 300,000 shares in the company, valued at $14,595,000. This trade represents a 20.00% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Lamb Weston Stock Performance

Shares of LW traded up $2.73 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $50.21. 3,639,929 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,061,468. Lamb Weston has a twelve month low of $39.79 and a twelve month high of $67.07. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $48.17 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $54.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.08, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 0.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.06, a P/E/G ratio of 7.31 and a beta of 0.45.

Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, December 19th. The specialty retailer reported $0.69 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.68 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $1.62 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.59 billion. Lamb Weston had a net margin of 6.06% and a return on equity of 27.71%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.66 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Lamb Weston will post 3.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Lamb Weston Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.38 per share. This represents a $1.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 30th. This is an increase from Lamb Weston’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. Lamb Weston’s dividend payout ratio is 54.68%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on shares of Lamb Weston from $61.00 to $49.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Bank of America cut their target price on shares of Lamb Weston from $66.00 to $53.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Lamb Weston from $62.00 to $50.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Zacks Research downgraded Lamb Weston from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane set a $48.00 price objective on Lamb Weston in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $53.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lamb Weston

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. AlphaQuest LLC lifted its position in shares of Lamb Weston by 115.5% in the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 446 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 239 shares in the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lamb Weston during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Motco purchased a new stake in shares of Lamb Weston during the 3rd quarter worth about $30,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in Lamb Weston by 333.3% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 637 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 490 shares in the last quarter. Finally, City State Bank increased its stake in shares of Lamb Weston by 86.8% during the 2nd quarter. City State Bank now owns 779 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 362 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.56% of the company’s stock.

Lamb Weston Company Profile

Lamb Weston, traded on the NYSE under the symbol LW, is a leading global processor and supplier of frozen potato products. The company’s portfolio includes a variety of potato-based items such as French fries, potato wedges, hash browns and specialty cuts tailored to the foodservice and retail grocery channels. Lamb Weston serves quick-service restaurants, full-service operators, grocery chains and food distributors, offering customized product formats, packaging solutions and seasoning options to meet evolving customer demands.

Founded in 1950 and headquartered in Eagle, Idaho, Lamb Weston has grown from a regional processor into one of the world’s largest producers of frozen potato products.