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

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Big Lots (NYSE:BIG) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note published on Friday.

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

Big Lots Stock Performance

Shares of BIG stock opened at $3.70 on Friday. Big Lots has a one year low of $3.13 and a one year high of $11.06. The company’s 50-day moving average is $4.15 and its 200 day moving average is $5.08. The company has a market capitalization of $107.97 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.

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 firm had revenue of $1.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.43 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted ($0.28) earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Big Lots will post -10.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Big Lots

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in BIG. US Bancorp DE lifted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 503 shares during the period. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC lifted its stake in shares of Big Lots by 8.0% in the 1st quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 6,633 shares of the company’s stock worth $230,000 after purchasing an additional 489 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Big Lots by 1.2% in the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 30,213 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,045,000 after purchasing an additional 347 shares during the period. AlphaCrest Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Big Lots in the 1st quarter worth approximately $391,000. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Big Lots by 58.5% in the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 16,782 shares of the company’s stock worth $581,000 after purchasing an additional 6,194 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 75.96% of the company’s stock.

About Big Lots

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.