Shares of Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: LW) stayed crimson on Friday. The inventory has gained 16% this yr. The French fry large kicked off its fiscal yr 2024 on a robust observe with strong progress in income and earnings. The corporate seems to be on a constructive progress trajectory and it has outlined sure methods to gas its enterprise over the long run.
Robust Q1 efficiency
Within the first quarter of 2024, Lamb Weston’s web gross sales elevated 48% year-over-year to $1.6 billion, with $375 million in gross sales pushed by acquisitions. Excluding acquisitions, web gross sales grew 15%. Adjusted EPS greater than doubled to $1.63 within the quarter.
Development methods
Lamb Weston’s efforts to drive sustainable and worthwhile progress are aided by quite a lot of methods. Certainly one of these is its deal with the rising frozen potato class. The corporate expects the class to develop by way of 2027 at a compounded annual progress price of 2-4%.
Frozen potato volumes are anticipated to develop throughout all areas with low-single-digit share progress in North America and Europe and mid-single-digit share progress in Asia, and Center East & Africa. Lamb Weston is including processing capability in every of its areas.
Lamb Weston has realigned its enterprise into two segments – North America and Worldwide. Internet gross sales in North America totaled $4.2 billion in 2023, reflecting a rise of 40% from 2021. The corporate is specializing in optimizing buyer and product combine, driving retail progress, and increasing its whole addressable market by way of innovation on this section.
Internet gross sales within the Worldwide section grew 73% to $1.1 billion through the interval from 2021-2023. Lamb Weston is engaged on driving quantity progress and strengthening its share place on this section. It is usually specializing in optimizing buyer and product combine in every area to spice up profitability. LW sees alternative for larger progress from worldwide markets. The corporate estimates 34% of its web gross sales to come back from Worldwide in 2024.
Lamb Weston is constructing manufacturing capabilities to assist rising demand for higher-margin, premium merchandise. It is usually driving productiveness packages to generate value financial savings and efficiencies throughout its community.
Outlook
For fiscal yr 2024, Lamb Weston expects web gross sales of $6.8-7.0 billion, which represents natural progress of 6.5-8.5%. The steerage consists of $1.1-1.2 billion of incremental gross sales from acquisitions. GAAP EPS is predicted to be $5.47-5.92 whereas adjusted EPS is predicted to be $5.50-5.95.
For the long run, LW expects web gross sales progress within the low-to-mid-single digits, pushed by a steadiness of quantity progress and worth/combine. Adjusted EPS is predicted to develop within the excessive single digits, pushed by a versatile capital construction and execution of the corporate’s capital allocation methods.
