Lamb Weston Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:LW)

Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Monday. Traders acquired 7,287 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 234% compared to the average volume of 2,184 call options.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LW. MCF Advisors LLC increased its stake in Lamb Weston by 44.2% during the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 649 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 199 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings 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 period. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Lamb Weston by 121.1% during the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,130 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 619 shares during the last quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lamb Weston during the 4th quarter worth about $48,000. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. raised its holdings in Lamb Weston by 4,512.0% in the 1st quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 1,153 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 1,128 shares during the period. 89.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have weighed in on LW. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Lamb Weston from $46.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Bank of America cut their price target on Lamb Weston from $49.00 to $47.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Stephens assumed coverage on Lamb Weston in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $46.00 price objective on the stock. Barclays lowered their price objective on Lamb Weston from $55.00 to $46.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Lamb Weston in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Lamb Weston presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $48.91.

Lamb Weston Trading Down 2.5%

NYSE:LW traded down $1.15 on Monday, hitting $45.64. The stock had a trading volume of 545,932 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,373,973. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $44.11 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $44.06. Lamb Weston has a 1-year low of $37.62 and a 1-year high of $67.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.99. The stock has a market cap of $6.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.34, a PEG ratio of 6.21 and a beta of 0.47.

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.