Louisiana-Pacific (NYSE:LPX) Upgraded at BMO Capital Markets

Key Points

• BMO Capital Markets upgraded Louisiana‑Pacific from "market perform" to "outperform" and set a $94 price target, implying roughly a 29% upside from the prior close.
• Louisiana‑Pacific reported an EPS beat of $0.38 vs. $0.14 expected and revenue of $574M (down 20.7% YoY), while the stock trades near $72.62 against a consensus price target of $100.17 (consensus: "Moderate Buy").
• Insider activity included a director buying 20,000 shares at about $85.49, signaling insider buying interest while insiders overall own 0.65% of the company.

Louisiana-Pacific (NYSE:LPX - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at BMO Capital Markets from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage currently has a $94.00 target price on the building manufacturing company's stock. BMO Capital Markets' price objective indicates a potential upside of 29.44% from the company's previous close.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $114.00 price target on shares of Louisiana-Pacific in a research report on Tuesday. Zacks Research downgraded Louisiana-Pacific from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Louisiana-Pacific from $104.00 to $90.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $104.00 target price on shares of Louisiana-Pacific in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Oppenheimer reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Louisiana-Pacific in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $100.17.

Louisiana-Pacific Stock Performance

NYSE LPX opened at $72.62 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $75.35 and a two-hundred day moving average of $82.10. The company has a market capitalization of $5.07 billion, a PE ratio of 34.75, a P/E/G ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.60. Louisiana-Pacific has a 1 year low of $66.68 and a 1 year high of $102.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 2.78 and a quick ratio of 1.53.

Louisiana-Pacific (NYSE:LPX - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The building manufacturing company reported $0.38 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.24. Louisiana-Pacific had a return on equity of 10.72% and a net margin of 5.39%.The business had revenue of $574.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $569.99 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.27 earnings per share. The business's revenue was down 20.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Louisiana-Pacific will post 2.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Louisiana-Pacific

In other news, Director F Nicholas Grasberger III purchased 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $85.49 per share, with a total value of $1,709,800.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 38,954 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,330,177.46. This trade represents a 105.52% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Lizanne M. Bruce sold 1,300 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.59, for a total transaction of $102,167.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 17,160 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,348,604.40. The trade was a 7.04% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 0.65% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Louisiana-Pacific

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in shares of Louisiana-Pacific by 34.3% in the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 497 shares of the building manufacturing company's stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB raised its position in Louisiana-Pacific by 4.5% in the third quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 3,139 shares of the building manufacturing company's stock worth $279,000 after acquiring an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co raised its position in Louisiana-Pacific by 1.5% in the third quarter. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co now owns 11,524 shares of the building manufacturing company's stock worth $1,024,000 after acquiring an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd lifted its holdings in Louisiana-Pacific by 2.7% in the third quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 6,877 shares of the building manufacturing company's stock valued at $611,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares during the period. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System lifted its holdings in Louisiana-Pacific by 1.1% in the third quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 17,600 shares of the building manufacturing company's stock valued at $1,564,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. 94.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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