Topic: How To Invest

Wall Street Stock Forecaster Hotline – Friday, January 13, 2017

Article Excerpt

LAMB WESTON HOLDINGS INC., $37.22, New York symbol LW, sells frozen potatoes and other vegetable products to restaurants and prepared-food makers. The company was a wholly owned subsidiary of Conagra Brands Inc. (New York symbol CAG) until November 9, 2016. That’s when Conagra spun off Lamb Weston as a separate company. Conagra investors received one Lamb Weston share for every three shares they held. Lamb Weston’s sales in its fiscal 2017 second quarter, ended November 27, 2016, rose 6.8%, to $790.7 million from $740.3 million a year earlier (the year-earlier results are pro-forma figures provided by the company). Those results beat the consensus forecast of $776.0 million. Rising volumes accounted for most of the sales gain, while higher prices also contributed. The company earned $0.59 a share in the quarter, up 18.0% from $0.50 a year earlier. Along with the higher sales, better efficiency helped to spur earnings. If you disregard costs related to the spinoff and other unusual items, Lamb Weston earned $0.63…