Graham Capital Management L.P. Buys Shares of 31,656 Lamb Weston $LW

Key Points

• Graham Capital Management L.P. has acquired a new stake in Lamb Weston, purchasing 31,656 shares valued at approximately $1.69 million during the first quarter of the year.
• Lamb Weston reported earnings of $0.87 per share for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations of $0.64, along with a revenue increase to $1.68 billion.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.37 per share, which provides an annualized yield of 2.6% and a payout ratio of 58.96%.

Graham Capital Management L.P. purchased a new stake in Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 31,656 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,687,000.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Romano Brothers AND Company grew its position in Lamb Weston by 1.4% during the first quarter. Romano Brothers AND Company now owns 15,260 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $813,000 after buying an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky lifted its stake in Lamb Weston by 2.0% during the first quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 10,971 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $585,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Lamb Weston by 4.0% during the first quarter. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,984 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $319,000 after purchasing an additional 230 shares during the last quarter. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Lamb Weston by 8.2% during the fourth quarter. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,393 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $227,000 after purchasing an additional 256 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Smith Thornton Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Lamb Weston by 6.8% during the first quarter. Smith Thornton Advisors LLC now owns 4,300 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $229,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares during the last quarter. 89.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lamb Weston Stock Up 4.0%

Shares of LW stock traded up $2.25 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $58.02. 1,658,930 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,191,125. Lamb Weston has a 1 year low of $47.87 and a 1 year high of $83.98. The company's 50 day moving average is $54.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $53.56. The company has a current ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12. The firm has a market cap of $8.08 billion, a PE ratio of 23.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.49.

Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $0.87 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.23. Lamb Weston had a return on equity of 27.99% and a net margin of 5.54%.The firm had revenue of $1.68 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.59 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.78 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. Lamb Weston has set its FY 2026 guidance at EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Lamb Weston will post 3.1 EPS for the current year.

Lamb Weston Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 29th. Investors of record on Friday, August 1st were paid a $0.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 1st. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Lamb Weston's dividend payout ratio is presently 58.96%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have issued reports on LW. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Lamb Weston from $65.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 24th. Barclays boosted their target price on Lamb Weston from $61.00 to $68.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, July 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on Lamb Weston in a research note on Wednesday, August 20th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $57.00 target price for the company. Finally, Bank of America lowered their target price on Lamb Weston from $60.00 to $56.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 18th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lamb Weston has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $65.30.

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.