Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW) Short Interest Down 18.3% in April

Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW - Get Free Report) was the target of a large decrease in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totalling 5,340,000 shares, a decrease of 18.3% from the March 31st total of 6,540,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,760,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.9 days. Approximately 3.9% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Lamb Weston Price Performance

Lamb Weston stock traded down $0.23 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $51.27. 1,819,297 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,649,093. Lamb Weston has a 12-month low of $47.90 and a 12-month high of $89.51. The company has a market capitalization of $7.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.26, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 0.46. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $53.05 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $63.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.26, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 0.53.

Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 3rd. The specialty retailer reported $1.10 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.87 by $0.23. Lamb Weston had a return on equity of 27.82% and a net margin of 5.80%. The firm had revenue of $1.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.50 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.20 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Lamb Weston will post 3.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lamb Weston Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 2nd will be paid a $0.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 2nd. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.89%. Lamb Weston's payout ratio is currently 58.04%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Allworth Financial LP lifted its position in Lamb Weston by 16.1% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,223 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $74,000 after buying an additional 170 shares during the period. Romano Brothers AND Company lifted its holdings in shares of Lamb Weston by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. Romano Brothers AND Company now owns 15,260 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $813,000 after acquiring an additional 218 shares during the period. Blair William & Co. IL boosted its position in shares of Lamb Weston by 3.2% in the fourth quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 7,130 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $476,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky grew its holdings in Lamb Weston by 2.0% in the first quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 10,971 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $585,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares during the period. Finally, Atria Investments Inc increased its position in Lamb Weston by 3.2% during the fourth quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 7,255 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $485,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares during the last quarter. 89.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on LW shares. StockNews.com downgraded Lamb Weston from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of Lamb Weston from $80.00 to $75.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Lamb Weston from $72.00 to $66.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus set a $56.00 target price on shares of Lamb Weston and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "hold" rating and set a $57.00 price target on shares of Lamb Weston in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $70.64.

About Lamb Weston

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.