Todd Asset Management LLC Increases Stock Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Todd Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 4.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 97,307 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,142 shares during the period. Todd Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $21,656,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of LOW. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board boosted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 187,225.6% during the third quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board now owns 2,111,159 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $438,783,000 after buying an additional 2,110,032 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $430,090,000. Schroder Investment Management Group grew its position in Lowe’s Companies by 189.5% in the 3rd quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 2,798,268 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $581,592,000 after acquiring an additional 1,831,727 shares in the last quarter. Aristotle Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 143.8% during the third quarter. Aristotle Capital Management LLC now owns 1,361,716 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $283,019,000 after purchasing an additional 803,216 shares during the period. Finally, J.P. Morgan Private Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter worth about $144,530,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Shares of LOW stock traded up $2.55 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $232.13. The company had a trading volume of 1,834,728 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,044,726. The stock has a market cap of $132.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.64, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.15. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $240.07 and its 200 day simple moving average is $220.75. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $181.85 and a 52-week high of $262.49.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 27th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $18.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.47 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.94% and a negative return on equity of 51.42%. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.28 EPS. Lowe’s Companies’s revenue was down 17.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.21 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 8th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 24th will be given a dividend of $1.10 per share. This represents a $4.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.90%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is 33.43%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on LOW. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $240.00 to $225.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 16th. Zelman & Associates restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $265.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Tuesday, April 2nd. Robert W. Baird upgraded Lowe’s Companies from an “average” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $250.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 14th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $230.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. Finally, DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and set a $270.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, March 27th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $252.52.

About Lowe’s Companies

Lowe's Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a home improvement retailer in the United States. The company offers a line of products for construction, maintenance, repair, remodeling, and decorating. It also provides home improvement products, such as appliances, seasonal and outdoor living, lawn and garden, lumber, kitchens and bath, tools, paint, millwork, hardware, flooring, rough plumbing, building materials, décor, and electrical.