West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. (NYSE:WFG) Receives Average Rating of "Hold" from Brokerages

Key Points

• West Fraser Timber has a consensus “Hold” rating from eight analysts: four rate it a buy, three a hold and one a sell. The average 12-month price target is $83.20, versus a recent share price of $68.06.
• The company reported a quarterly loss of $0.78 per share, missing estimates by $0.08, while revenue of $1.43 billion also fell short of expectations. Analysts forecast a full-year loss of $3.77 per share.
• West Fraser pays a quarterly dividend of $0.32, equivalent to $1.28 annually and a 1.9% yield; institutional investors own approximately 40.23% of the stock.

West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. (NYSE:WFG - Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of "Hold" from the eight research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, three have assigned a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $83.20.

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of West Fraser Timber in a report on Friday, July 31st. TD Securities reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of West Fraser Timber in a report on Friday, July 31st. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of West Fraser Timber from a "strong sell" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st. Zacks Research raised shares of West Fraser Timber from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of West Fraser Timber from a "sell (d)" rating to a "sell (d-)" rating in a report on Friday, July 31st.

West Fraser Timber Stock Performance

Shares of West Fraser Timber stock opened at $68.06 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $5.33 billion, a PE ratio of -4.41 and a beta of 1.00. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $68.44 and its 200-day simple moving average is $66.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 2.06. West Fraser Timber has a 1 year low of $57.34 and a 1 year high of $76.99.

West Fraser Timber (NYSE:WFG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The company reported ($0.78) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.70) by ($0.08). West Fraser Timber had a negative return on equity of 10.84% and a negative net margin of 22.98%.The firm had revenue of $1.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.45 billion. Equities analysts forecast that West Fraser Timber will post -3.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

West Fraser Timber Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 13th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 25th were given a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 25th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. West Fraser Timber's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -8.29%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On West Fraser Timber

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of West Fraser Timber by 72.2% during the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 439 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 184 shares in the last quarter. EFG International AG acquired a new stake in West Fraser Timber during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in West Fraser Timber by 177.0% during the first quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 579 shares of the company's stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 370 shares in the last quarter. Nykredit A S acquired a new position in West Fraser Timber in the second quarter worth approximately $156,000. Finally, Aegis Financial Corp acquired a new position in shares of West Fraser Timber in the 1st quarter worth $205,000. 40.23% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

West Fraser Timber Company Profile

West Fraser Timber Co Ltd. NYSE: WFG is a leading North American diversified wood products company headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company operates a broad portfolio of manufacturing facilities that produce lumber, engineered wood products such as laminated veneer lumber (LVL), oriented strand board (OSB) and plywood, as well as medium density fibreboard (MDF), particleboard, pulp and paper. West Fraser's integrated production model spans harvesting, milling and finishing, allowing it to serve a wide range of residential, commercial and industrial construction markets.

Founded in 1955 as West Fraser Mills, the company has grown through both organic investment and strategic acquisitions to become one of the largest lumber producers in the world.

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