Wells Fargo & Company Has Lowered Expectations for Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW) Stock Price

Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW) had its price target dropped by Wells Fargo & Company from $54.00 to $46.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the specialty retailer’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price target would indicate a potential upside of 21.30% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on LW. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Lamb Weston from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Lamb Weston in a report on Friday, March 27th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $46.00 target price on shares of Lamb Weston in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on shares of Lamb Weston from $63.00 to $50.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their price target on Lamb Weston from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $50.10.

Lamb Weston Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:LW traded down $0.56 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $37.92. 279,841 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,232,443. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.08, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 1.43. Lamb Weston has a one year low of $37.62 and a one year high of $67.07. The company has a market cap of $5.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.65, a P/E/G ratio of 6.15 and a beta of 0.43. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $45.21 and a 200 day moving average of $51.97.

Lamb Weston (NYSE:LW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 1st. The specialty retailer reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.61 by $0.11. Lamb Weston had a return on equity of 27.71% and a net margin of 6.06%.The company had revenue of $1.56 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.49 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.10 EPS. Lamb Weston’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Lamb Weston will post 3.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lamb Weston

In other Lamb Weston news, insider Jan Eli B. Craps acquired 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $48.65 per share, for a total transaction of $2,432,500.00. Following the purchase, the insider directly owned 300,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,595,000. This trade represents a 20.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.29% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Lamb Weston

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Liberty One Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Lamb Weston by 86.1% in the 3rd quarter. Liberty One Investment Management LLC now owns 960,639 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $55,859,000 after purchasing an additional 444,328 shares in the last quarter. Oak Thistle LLC purchased a new position in Lamb Weston during the third quarter valued at $1,611,000. Capital Research Global Investors lifted its position in Lamb Weston by 46.3% during the third quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 2,150,000 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $124,872,000 after purchasing an additional 680,000 shares in the last quarter. Douglas Lane & Associates LLC grew its holdings in Lamb Weston by 19.9% during the third quarter. Douglas Lane & Associates LLC now owns 1,279,345 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $74,304,000 after purchasing an additional 212,504 shares during the period. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in Lamb Weston by 77.2% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 57,590 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $2,990,000 after purchasing an additional 25,095 shares during the period. 89.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Lamb Weston

Here are the key news stories impacting Lamb Weston this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 revenue and EPS beat consensus; company raised the midpoint of its FY2026 net sales and EBITDA outlook and trimmed expected 2026 capital spending — a near‑term pivot toward cash flow. Lamb Weston Reports Third Quarter Fiscal 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s cost‑savings program (a $250M target) appears on track, YTD free cash flow is meaningful and management flagged lower contracted potato costs for FY2027 — a potential tailwind for margin recovery if volumes hold. Frozen Out: Lamb Weston Beats Earnings, but the Stock Still Slides
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst views are split: consensus price targets remain materially above the stock (MarketBeat consensus ~ $51.50), but firm‑level outlooks vary — meaning potential upside is paired with continued analyst caution. MarketBeat LW Forecast
• Negative Sentiment: Margins compressed sharply year‑over‑year (reported net income and adjusted EPS declined materially vs. prior year) as international demand softness, factory utilization and pricing pressure weighed on profitability — the central reason investors are selling despite the beat. Zacks: Q3 Earnings Beat
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades/price‑target cuts are appearing (Bank of America trimmed its PT to $47 and set a “neutral” rating; Deutsche Bank lowered its PT toward $40), which constrains near‑term sentiment and upside. Benzinga: BofA Lowers PT Deutsche Bank Lowers Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Activist investor pressure and continued international demand weakness amplify execution risk — investors are focused on how quickly margins & utilization normalize. Barron’s: Why The Stock Is Barely Budging

Lamb Weston Company Profile

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.