Big Lots (NYSE:BIG) Raised to “Hold” at StockNews.com

Big Lots (NYSE:BIG) was upgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Friday.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on BIG. Loop Capital downgraded Big Lots from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, February 12th. Telsey Advisory Group dropped their target price on shares of Big Lots from $7.00 to $5.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 13th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and two have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $5.25.

Big Lots Stock Up 6.7 %

BIG opened at $3.66 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $106.95 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.22 and a beta of 2.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a current ratio of 1.31. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $4.18 and its 200 day moving average is $5.09. Big Lots has a fifty-two week low of $3.13 and a fifty-two week high of $11.06.

Big Lots (NYSE:BIG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 7th. The company reported ($0.28) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.23) by ($0.05). Big Lots had a negative net margin of 10.20% and a negative return on equity of 90.53%. The business had revenue of $1.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.43 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.28) earnings per share. Big Lots’s revenue was down 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Big Lots will post -10.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Big Lots

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Big Lots by 69.7% during the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,819 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 747 shares during the period. AJOVista LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Big Lots during the fourth quarter valued at $30,000. Harbour Investments Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Big Lots by 376.5% in the second quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 3,974 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 3,140 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP purchased a new position in Big Lots in the 1st quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, US Bancorp DE increased its stake in Big Lots by 32.5% in the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,053 shares of the company’s stock worth $71,000 after buying an additional 503 shares during the period. 75.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Big Lots Company Profile

Big Lots, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as a home discount retailer in the United States. The company offers products under various merchandising categories, such as furniture category that includes upholstery, mattresses, case goods, and ready-to-assemble departments; seasonal category, which comprises patio furniture, gazebos, Christmas trim, and other holiday departments; soft home category that consists of home décor, frames, fashion and utility bedding, bath, window, decorative textile, and area rugs departments; and food category that includes beverage and grocery, specialty foods, and pet departments.