Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW) Announces $0.38 Quarterly Dividend

Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW) announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, May 8th will be given a dividend of 0.38 per share by the specialty retailer on Friday, June 5th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 8th.

Lamb Weston has increased its dividend payment by an average of 0.1%annually over the last three years and has raised its dividend annually for the last 7 consecutive years. Lamb Weston has a payout ratio of 39.8% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect Lamb Weston to earn $3.09 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.52 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 49.2%.

Lamb Weston Stock Down 0.1%

Lamb Weston stock opened at $42.49 on Wednesday. Lamb Weston has a fifty-two week low of $37.62 and a fifty-two week high of $67.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 1.46. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $43.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $49.36. The company has a market capitalization of $5.87 billion, a PE ratio of 19.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.15 and a beta of 0.47.

Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 1st. The specialty retailer reported $0.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.61 by $0.11. Lamb Weston had a net margin of 4.61% and a return on equity of 23.77%. The firm had revenue of $1.56 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.49 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.10 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Lamb Weston will post 2.85 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lamb Weston

In other Lamb Weston news, insider Jan Eli B. Craps purchased 50,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was bought at an average price of $48.65 per share, with a total value of $2,432,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 300,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,595,000. This represents a 20.00% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Jana Partners Management, Lp purchased 136,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 7th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $40.89 per share, with a total value of $5,561,040.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 5,148,980 shares in the company, valued at $210,541,792.20. This trade represents a 2.71% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders acquired 441,000 shares of company stock valued at $18,703,290 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lamb Weston

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. AlphaQuest LLC lifted its position in shares of Lamb Weston by 115.5% during the 3rd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 446 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 239 shares during the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lamb Weston during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Motco purchased a new stake in shares of Lamb Weston during the 3rd quarter worth $30,000. MCF Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Lamb Weston by 44.2% during the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 649 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 199 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in shares of Lamb Weston by 380.7% during the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 721 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 571 shares during the last quarter. 89.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Lamb Weston

Lamb Weston, traded on the NYSE under the symbol LW, is a leading global processor and supplier of frozen potato products. The company’s portfolio includes a variety of potato-based items such as French fries, potato wedges, hash browns and specialty cuts tailored to the foodservice and retail grocery channels. Lamb Weston serves quick-service restaurants, full-service operators, grocery chains and food distributors, offering customized product formats, packaging solutions and seasoning options to meet evolving customer demands.

Founded in 1950 and headquartered in Eagle, Idaho, Lamb Weston has grown from a regional processor into one of the world’s largest producers of frozen potato products.