Big Lots, Inc. (NYSE:BIG) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Strong Sell” by Brokerages

Shares of Big Lots, Inc. (NYSE:BIG) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Strong Sell” by the five research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and one has assigned a hold recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $5.25.

Several research firms have recently commented on BIG. StockNews.com cut Big Lots from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 2nd. Loop Capital lowered shares of Big Lots from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, February 12th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group lowered their target price on Big Lots from $7.00 to $5.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 13th.

Big Lots Stock Performance

NYSE:BIG opened at $3.58 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $4.01 and its 200 day simple moving average is $5.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $105.65 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.22 and a beta of 2.33. Big Lots has a twelve month low of $3.13 and a twelve month high of $11.06. The company has a current ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43.

Big Lots (NYSE:BIG) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, March 7th. The company reported ($0.28) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.23) by ($0.05). The firm had revenue of $1.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.43 billion. Big Lots had a negative return on equity of 90.53% and a negative net margin of 10.20%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.28) earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Big Lots will post -10.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Big Lots

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Partnership Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Big Lots during the fourth quarter valued at $6,376,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP lifted its stake in Big Lots by 244.7% during the first quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 461,188 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,997,000 after buying an additional 327,397 shares in the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Big Lots by 490.3% in the fourth quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 388,954 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,030,000 after buying an additional 323,059 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Big Lots by 40.3% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 990,131 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,713,000 after acquiring an additional 284,258 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC raised its holdings in shares of Big Lots by 265.1% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 210,277 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,073,000 after acquiring an additional 152,677 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.96% of the company’s stock.

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, home décor, case goods, and ready-to-assemble departments; seasonal category, which comprises patio furniture, gazebos, Christmas trim, lawn and garden, and other holiday departments; soft home category consists of apparel, hosiery, jewelry; frames, fashion and utility bedding, bath, window, decorative textiles, and area rugs departments; and food category that includes beverages and grocery, specialty foods, and candy and snacks departments.