Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (LPX) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know

Louisiana-Pacific (LPX) is one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com visitors lately. So, it might be a good idea to review some of the factors that might affect the near-term performance of the stock.Shares of this home construction supplier have returned +12.6% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.9% change. The Zacks Building Products - Wood industry, to which Louisiana-Pacific belongs, has gained 3.4% over this period. Now the key question is: Where could the stock be headed in the near term?While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making.Revisions to Earnings EstimatesHere at Zacks, we prioritize appraising the change in the projection of a company's future earnings over anything else. That's because we believe the present value of its future stream of earnings is what determines the fair value for its stock.We essentially look at how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to reflect the impact of the latest business trends. And if earnings estimates go up for a company, the fair value for its stock goes up. A higher fair value than the current market price drives investors' interest in buying the stock, leading to its price moving higher. This is why empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.Louisiana-Pacific is expected to post earnings of $0.06 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of -94.2%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate remained unchanged.The consensus earnings estimate of $2.69 for the current fiscal year indicates a year-over-year change of -54.3%. This estimate has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $3.8 indicates a change of +41.4% from what Louisiana-Pacific is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has remained unchanged.Having a strong externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool, the Zacks Rank, offers a more conclusive picture of a stock's price direction in the near term, since it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. Due to the size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, Louisiana-Pacific is rated Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:12 Month EPSRevenue Growth ForecastWhile earnings growth is arguably the most superior indicator of a company's financial health, nothing happens as such if a business isn't able to grow its revenues. After all, it's nearly impossible for a company to increase its earnings for an extended period without increasing its revenues. So, it's important to know a company's potential revenue growth.In the case of Louisiana-Pacific, the consensus sales estimate of $608.6 million for the current quarter points to a year-over-year change of -10.6%. The $2.75 billion and $2.95 billion estimates for the current and next fiscal years indicate changes of -6.5% and +7.4%, respectively.Last Reported Results and Surprise HistoryLouisiana-Pacific reported revenues of $663 million in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of -8.2%. EPS of $0.36 for the same period compares with $1.22 a year ago.Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $655.85 million, the reported revenues represent a surprise of +1.09%. The EPS surprise was -2.7%.Over the last four quarters, Louisiana-Pacific surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. The company topped consensus revenue estimates each time over this period.ValuationWithout considering a stock's valuation, no investment decision can be efficient. In predicting a stock's future price performance, it's crucial to determine whether its current price correctly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects.While comparing the current values of a company's valuation multiples, such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), with its own historical values helps determine whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of the reasonability of the stock's price.As part of the Zacks Style Scores system, the Zacks Value Style Score (which evaluates both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics) organizes stocks into five groups ranging from A to F (A is better than B; B is better than C; and so on), making it helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.Louisiana-Pacific is graded D on this front, indicating that it is trading at a premium to its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.Bottom LineThe facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Louisiana-Pacific. However, its Zacks Rank #5 does suggest that it may underperform the broader market in the near term.Zacks Naming Top 10 Stocks for 2026Want to be tipped off early to our 10 top picks for the entirety of 2026? History suggests their performance could be sensational.From 2012 (when our Director of Research Sheraz Mian assumed responsibility for the portfolio) through November, 2025, the Zacks Top 10 Stocks gained +2,530.8%, more than QUADRUPLING the S&P 500’s +570.3%.Now Sheraz is combing through 4,400 companies to handpick the best 10 tickers to buy and hold in 2026. Don’t miss your chance to get in on these stocks when they’re released on January 5. Be First to New Top 10 Stocks >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (LPX): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks