Wall Street Zen Upgrades L.B. Foster (NASDAQ:FSTR) to "Buy"

Key Points

• L.B. Foster's rating was upgraded from "hold" to "buy" by Wall Street Zen, highlighting a positive shift in analyst sentiment.
• Conversely, Zacks Research downgraded the stock from "hold" to a "strong sell," indicating mixed perspectives among analysts.
• The company's recent quarterly earnings showed a miss on EPS estimates, reporting $0.27 versus the expected $0.52, with revenue also falling short of expectations.

L.B. Foster (NASDAQ:FSTR - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report issued on Saturday.

Separately, Zacks Research downgraded L.B. Foster from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $25.00.

L.B. Foster Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of NASDAQ FSTR traded up $0.28 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $27.71. The stock had a trading volume of 31,393 shares, compared to its average volume of 29,654. The business's fifty day moving average price is $24.33 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $21.56. The company has a current ratio of 2.53, a quick ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The firm has a market cap of $293.73 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.35 and a beta of 0.99. L.B. Foster has a 52-week low of $17.16 and a 52-week high of $29.77.

L.B. Foster (NASDAQ:FSTR - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 11th. The basic materials company reported $0.27 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.52 by ($0.25). The company had revenue of $143.56 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $147.76 million. L.B. Foster had a return on equity of 3.64% and a net margin of 7.19%. L.B. Foster has set its FY 2025 guidance at EPS. Analysts expect that L.B. Foster will post 1.16 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On L.B. Foster

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of FSTR. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in shares of L.B. Foster by 197.2% during the 4th quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 6,368 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $171,000 after acquiring an additional 4,225 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in L.B. Foster in the 4th quarter valued at about $349,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC purchased a new position in L.B. Foster in the 2nd quarter valued at about $489,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in L.B. Foster by 29.3% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 13,358 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $292,000 after buying an additional 3,030 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marion Wealth Management purchased a new position in L.B. Foster in the 2nd quarter valued at about $210,000. 80.63% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

L.B. Foster Company Profile

L.B. Foster Company provides engineered and manufactured products and services for the building and infrastructure projects in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates through two segments: Rail, Technologies, and Services; and Infrastructure Solutions. The Rail, Technologies, and Services segment offers new rail to passenger and short line freight railroads, industrial companies, and rail contractors, as well as used rails; rail accessories, such as rack spikes, bolts, angle bars, tie plates, and other products; insulated rail joints and related accessories; fixation fasteners, coverboards, and special accessories; and trackwork products.