By Mackenzie Tatananni
An activist hedge fund that has been cutting back its stake in Lamb Weston after hashing out an agreement with the supplier of frozen potato products reversed course with a well-timed purchase.
New York-based hedge fund Jana Partners bought $9.7 million worth of stock across two transactions, a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission shows.
The activist snapped up 136,000 shares on April 7 for an average price of $40.89 apiece and bought an additional 100,000 shares on April 8 for $41.41 each. The shares purchased were worth $10.2 million on Wednesday based on the stock's closing price of $43.17.
Lamb Weston reached a settlement with the hedge fund last June that resulted in a restructuring of its board, including the appointment of Scott Otsfeld, managing partner and portfolio manager at Jana.
Another activist investor, Starboard Value, has since taken aim at the company. The firm delivered a letter to CEO Michael Smith in March, urging him to conduct a strategic review of Lamb Weston's operations in the Asia Pacific region and expand an existing cost-cutting program.
Jana has been trimming its stake in the company. A Schedule 13D shows the hedge fund held a 4.9% stake in July 2025. Following the latest purchase, Jana holds a roughly 3.8% stake in Lamb Weston, which had just over 138 million shares outstanding on Wednesday.
Also on April 7, Norman Prestage, a company director and member of Lamb Weston's audit and finance committee, bought 2,500 shares for $41.40 each. The transaction brought Prestage's direct holdings to 9,481.7 shares worth $409,324. The amount includes 106.7 shares acquired through dividend reinvestment.
Lamb Weston's fiscal third-quarter earnings beat analysts' forecasts earlier this month. But the report wasn't the catalyst Wall Street expected. The company's profit declined in the quarter, partly due to lower-than-planned sales in its international segment. The supplier of frozen potato products, which counts McDonald's as its largest customer, has struggled with a global drop in restaurant traffic.
Inside Scoop is a regular Barron's feature covering stock transactions by corporate executives and board members -- so-called insiders -- as well as large shareholders, politicians, and other prominent figures. Due to their insider status, these investors are required to disclose stock trades with the Securities and Exchange Commission or other regulatory groups.
Write to Mackenzie Tatananni at mackenzie.tatananni@barrons.com
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April 17, 2026 21:31 ET (01:31 GMT)
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