Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (LW)

Lamb Weston's stock price has been volatile over the past six months, with a notable increase recently. As of September 30, 2025, the share price was $58.08, a 10.52% decrease from October 1, 2024. However, the stock saw a 13.91% increase in the week leading up to October 5, 2025, due to improved trends with chicken fast-food restaurants and customer retention in North America and Asia. Key events impacting the stock include strong Q1 fiscal 2026 earnings, Q4 and full year 2025 results, Q3 and Q2 fiscal 2025 earnings beats, and a decline in Q1 2025 revenue and earnings due to soft demand. The company also announced quarterly dividends during this period.

Demand for Lamb Weston's products exhibits some seasonality, particularly in North America. The CFO noted that demand changes are "more seasonal" in North America, with some input cost inflation expected in the second fiscal quarter. The international segment is expected to see more impact due to rising potato costs and plant startup costs. The company's "Focus to Win" plan aims to address operational efficiency and cost savings to mitigate the impact of seasonal fluctuations. Global demand for fries is growing, indicating a generally positive long-term trend despite short-term seasonality.

Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. is a major American food processing company and one of the world's largest producers of frozen potato products. Headquartered in Eagle, Idaho, it operates in the Consumer Defensive sector, specializing in value-added frozen potato products like french fries, waffle fries, and tater tots. The company also produces other frozen vegetable products and appetizers. Lamb Weston sells its products under its own brand, customer labels, and proprietary brands, distributing globally to restaurant chains, grocery stores, and educational institutions, with McDonald's being its largest customer.

Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. has a significant international presence, selling its products in over 100 countries. The company operates processing facilities and sales offices globally, including in the United States, Canada, China (via a joint venture), Europe (with plants in the Netherlands, UK, and Austria), Japan, Latin America (Chile and Argentina, via a joint venture), Australia (following the acquisition of Crackerjack Foods), Mexico, and Singapore. Approximately two-thirds of its revenue comes from North America.

Lamb Weston maintains a strong market position and brand reputation as North America's top supplier of value-added frozen potato products. However, the company's reputation has been impacted by antitrust allegations, environmental fines, and activist investor scrutiny. A class-action lawsuit alleges collusion to hike potato product prices. The company reached a settlement with the Oregon DEQ for wastewater violations. Activist hedge fund Jana Partners is pushing for operational and capital reforms, with some shareholders supporting significant changes.

Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. is primarily owned by institutional shareholders, who hold approximately 92.60% of the company's stock. Insiders own about 8.46%, and retail investors hold 0.00%. Major institutional owners include Vanguard Group Inc., BlackRock Inc., Jana Partners Management LP, Price T Rowe Associates Inc, Fmr LLC, State Street Corp, and Geode Capital Management LLC. Individual insider ownership is less than 1%.