Caxton Associates LLP Invests $1.68 Million in Lamb Weston $LW

Key Points

• Caxton Associates LLP disclosed a new first-quarter position in Lamb Weston, buying 39,735 shares worth about $1.68 million.
• Lamb Weston recently beat fiscal Q4 earnings and revenue estimates, helped by stronger North American volume, and its FY 2027 guidance points to modest growth and revenue above consensus.
• Despite the upbeat results, the company still faces international weakness, inflation, and geopolitical headwinds, and Wall Street remains cautious with a consensus Hold rating.

Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new position in shares of Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 39,735 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,679,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. MCF Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Lamb Weston by 44.2% during the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 649 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 199 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its position in shares of Lamb Weston by 380.7% during the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 721 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 571 shares during the period. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Lamb Weston by 121.1% during the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,130 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 619 shares during the period. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lamb Weston in the 4th quarter valued at about $48,000. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its stake in shares of Lamb Weston by 4,512.0% in the 1st quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 1,153 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 1,128 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.56% of the company's stock.

More Lamb Weston News

Here are the key news stories impacting Lamb Weston this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Lamb Weston beat fiscal Q4 earnings and revenue estimates, with stronger North American volume driving the top line. Lamb Weston (LW) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Beat Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: The company issued FY 2027 guidance that implies modest growth and revenue above consensus, suggesting management confidence in the turnaround. Lamb Weston earnings report
• Neutral Sentiment: Management said higher production and cost savings are helping offset inflation and geopolitical disruptions, but those headwinds are still affecting international sales. Seeking Alpha news
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain cautious despite the beat, with at least one downgrade saying the stock may be past the worst but still faces meaningful challenges. Lamb Weston: Passing The Bottom, But Challenges Remain (Downgrade)
• Negative Sentiment: International weakness, inflation, and geopolitical volatility continue to pressure margins and could limit how quickly earnings improve. Lamb Weston Posts Higher Sales on North America Growth

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on LW. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Lamb Weston from $46.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on shares of Lamb Weston from $46.00 to $40.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Lamb Weston from $43.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of Lamb Weston from $49.00 to $47.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, Stephens initiated coverage on shares of Lamb Weston in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $46.00 price target for the company. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $49.27.

Lamb Weston Stock Performance

Shares of LW opened at $49.57 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 1.46. Lamb Weston has a twelve month low of $37.62 and a twelve month high of $67.07. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $44.73 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $44.25. The firm has a market cap of $6.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.83, a PEG ratio of 6.58 and a beta of 0.47.

Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The specialty retailer reported $0.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.63 by $0.24. Lamb Weston had a net margin of 4.61% and a return on equity of 23.77%. The company had revenue of $1.77 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.70 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.87 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Lamb Weston has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.950-3.250 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Lamb Weston will post 3.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lamb Weston Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 4th. Investors of record on Friday, August 7th will be paid a $0.38 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 7th. This represents a $1.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. Lamb Weston's dividend payout ratio is presently 71.03%.

About Lamb Weston

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.