Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW) Short Interest Down 25.7% in March

Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW) saw a significant decline in short interest in March. As of March 15th, there was short interest totalling 7,700,000 shares, a decline of 25.7% from the February 28th total of 10,370,000 shares. Currently, 5.5% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 2,910,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.6 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LW has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on Lamb Weston in a research report on Tuesday, December 3rd. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $85.00 price objective on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on Lamb Weston from $80.00 to $68.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 20th. Citigroup lowered Lamb Weston from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $90.00 to $68.00 in a research report on Friday, December 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Lamb Weston from $68.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Lamb Weston from $80.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lamb Weston currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $74.55.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Robert A. Niblock bought 3,000 shares of Lamb Weston stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 13th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $60.94 per share, for a total transaction of $182,820.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 26,406 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,609,181.64. This trade represents a 12.82 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.72% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of LW. West Oak Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lamb Weston by 155.7% during the fourth quarter. West Oak Capital LLC now owns 450 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 274 shares during the period. Putney Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lamb Weston in the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lamb Weston in the fourth quarter valued at about $35,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Lamb Weston during the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group bought a new position in shares of Lamb Weston during the third quarter worth about $40,000. Institutional investors own 89.56% of the company’s stock.

Lamb Weston Trading Down 0.2 %

LW stock traded down $0.09 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $53.21. 4,601,200 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,804,697. Lamb Weston has a one year low of $47.90 and a one year high of $105.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.26, a quick ratio of 0.53 and a current ratio of 1.35. The company has a market cap of $7.59 billion, a PE ratio of 21.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.76. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $55.40 and its 200-day moving average price is $65.73.

Lamb Weston Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.37 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 2nd. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.78%. Lamb Weston’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 58.50%.

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.