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 released on Friday.

BIG has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Loop Capital cut 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 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 analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and two have issued a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Reduce and a consensus price target of $5.25.

Big Lots Stock Performance

Shares of Big Lots stock opened at $3.64 on Friday. Big Lots has a 52 week low of $3.13 and a 52 week high of $11.06. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $107.42 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.22 and a beta of 2.30. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $4.15 and a two-hundred day moving average of $5.09.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Big Lots

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BIG. Barclays PLC grew its stake in shares of Big Lots by 265.1% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 210,277 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,073,000 after acquiring an additional 152,677 shares in the last quarter. Dark Forest Capital Management LP boosted its holdings in Big Lots by 549.3% during the third quarter. Dark Forest Capital Management LP now owns 117,036 shares of the company’s stock worth $598,000 after purchasing an additional 99,011 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in Big Lots during the fourth quarter worth $497,000. Teza Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Big Lots in the third quarter valued at $100,000. Finally, Krane Funds Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Big Lots in the 3rd quarter valued at $433,000. Institutional investors 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, 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.