Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Takes Position in Louisiana-Pacific Corporation $LPX

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group initiated a new position in Louisiana-Pacific, buying 179,199 shares worth about $14.5 million in the fourth quarter.
• The company reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings of $0.38 per share versus estimates of $0.14, while revenue came in slightly above forecasts at $574 million.
• Louisiana-Pacific declared a quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share, implying an annual yield of 1.7%, and analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with a consensus target price of $97.25.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (NYSE:LPX - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 179,199 shares of the building manufacturing company's stock, valued at approximately $14,472,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. owned 0.26% of Louisiana-Pacific as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Millennium Management LLC boosted its holdings in Louisiana-Pacific by 128.6% in the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 176,762 shares of the building manufacturing company's stock valued at $16,259,000 after purchasing an additional 99,455 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in Louisiana-Pacific in the first quarter valued at approximately $273,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Louisiana-Pacific by 7.2% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 274,776 shares of the building manufacturing company's stock valued at $25,274,000 after purchasing an additional 18,413 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its holdings in Louisiana-Pacific by 207.1% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 28,219 shares of the building manufacturing company's stock valued at $2,596,000 after purchasing an additional 19,029 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in Louisiana-Pacific by 15.2% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 225,565 shares of the building manufacturing company's stock valued at $20,747,000 after purchasing an additional 29,846 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.73% of the company's stock.

Louisiana-Pacific Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LPX opened at $70.49 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 3.26, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. Louisiana-Pacific Corporation has a twelve month low of $66.12 and a twelve month high of $102.86. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $73.00 and a two-hundred day moving average of $80.52. The stock has a market cap of $4.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 59.73, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.60.

Louisiana-Pacific (NYSE:LPX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The building manufacturing company reported $0.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.24. Louisiana-Pacific had a return on equity of 7.03% and a net margin of 3.20%.The company had revenue of $574.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $569.99 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.27 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 20.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Louisiana-Pacific Corporation will post 2 earnings per share for the current year.

Louisiana-Pacific Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 14th will be paid a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 14th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. Louisiana-Pacific's payout ratio is currently 101.69%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Louisiana-Pacific news, Director Lizanne M. Bruce sold 1,300 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.59, for a total value of $102,167.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 17,160 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,348,604.40. The trade was a 7.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.65% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on LPX. BMO Capital Markets raised Louisiana-Pacific from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $94.00 price target for the company in a report on Thursday, May 7th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $114.00 price target on shares of Louisiana-Pacific in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Weiss Ratings raised Louisiana-Pacific from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $104.00 price target on shares of Louisiana-Pacific in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Oppenheimer lowered their price target on Louisiana-Pacific from $115.00 to $107.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $97.25.

Louisiana-Pacific Company Profile

Louisiana-Pacific Corporation NYSE: LPX is a leading manufacturer of building materials and engineered wood products for residential, industrial and light commercial construction. The company produces a diverse portfolio of products, including oriented strand board (OSB), engineered wood siding, trim, molding, sheathing panels and subflooring. Its flagship product lines, such as LP® SmartSide® trim and siding, are designed to offer enhanced durability, moisture resistance and ease of installation, helping builders and homeowners achieve long-lasting performance in a variety of climates.

Founded in 1973 as a spin-off from Georgia-Pacific, Louisiana-Pacific established its reputation by pioneering innovative manufacturing techniques for OSB, becoming one of the first companies to bring the product to market in the 1980s.

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