Big Lots (NYSE:BIG) Upgraded to Hold by StockNews.com

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

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

Big Lots Stock Up 6.7 %

NYSE BIG opened at $3.66 on Friday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $4.18 and its 200-day simple moving average is $5.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43. The firm has a market cap of $106.95 million, a PE ratio of -0.22 and a beta of 2.30. Big Lots has a 52 week low of $3.13 and a 52 week high of $11.06.

Big Lots (NYSE:BIG) last issued 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). Big Lots had a negative return on equity of 90.53% and a negative net margin of 10.20%. 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 firm earned ($0.28) earnings per share. Big Lots’s revenue for the quarter was down 7.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Big Lots will post -10.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Big Lots

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Quadrature Capital Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Big Lots in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $245,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Big Lots by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,542,139 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,013,000 after buying an additional 10,702 shares during the period. Virtu Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Big Lots during the fourth quarter worth $400,000. Occudo Quantitative Strategies LP raised its stake in shares of Big Lots by 470.8% in the fourth quarter. Occudo Quantitative Strategies LP now owns 89,580 shares of the company’s stock valued at $698,000 after acquiring an additional 73,886 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Scion Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Big Lots in the fourth quarter valued at $1,753,000. Hedge funds and other 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.