Louisiana-Pacific (NYSE:LPX) Sets New 52-Week Low - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Louisiana-Pacific shares fell to a new 52-week low of $66.09, down 2.4% in mid-day trading, with the stock trading below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.
• Despite the decline, analysts maintain a generally positive outlook: 11 rate LPX a Buy, one rates it Hold and two rate it Sell. The average price target is $94, implying substantial upside from the current level.
• The company’s latest quarter showed weakness, with EPS of $0.40 missing estimates and revenue down 12.1% year over year. Louisiana-Pacific also pays a $0.30 quarterly dividend, but its 151.9% payout ratio raises questions about dividend sustainability.

Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (NYSE:LPX - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $66.09 and last traded at $66.3940, with a volume of 619407 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $68.17.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LPX has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on Louisiana-Pacific in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. They set a "buy" rating and a $93.00 target price on the stock. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $99.00 price target on shares of Louisiana-Pacific in a report on Wednesday, September 2nd. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on shares of Louisiana-Pacific from $91.00 to $89.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Louisiana-Pacific from $85.00 to $101.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, TD raised their target price on shares of Louisiana-Pacific from $86.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $94.00.

Louisiana-Pacific Trading Down 2.4%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 1.67 and a current ratio of 3.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 84.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 9.65 and a beta of 1.59. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $73.58 and a 200 day simple moving average of $74.64.

Louisiana-Pacific (NYSE:LPX - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The building manufacturing company reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.56 by ($0.16). Louisiana-Pacific had a net margin of 2.19% and a return on equity of 4.67%. The business had revenue of $664.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $667.31 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.99 EPS. The company's revenue was down 12.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that Louisiana-Pacific Corporation will post 1.17 EPS for the current year.

Louisiana-Pacific Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th were given a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 14th. Louisiana-Pacific's payout ratio is presently 151.90%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Louisiana-Pacific

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Western Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Louisiana-Pacific during the 1st quarter worth $25,000. North Ridge Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Louisiana-Pacific during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its stake in Louisiana-Pacific by 204.0% during the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 380 shares of the building manufacturing company's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 255 shares in the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Louisiana-Pacific during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC increased its holdings in Louisiana-Pacific by 177.6% in the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 433 shares of the building manufacturing company's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 277 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.73% of the company's stock.

About Louisiana-Pacific

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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