Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Shares Bought by Ascent Group LLC

Ascent Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 3.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,322 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 153 shares during the quarter. Ascent Group LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $1,067,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Marshall Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $44,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LOW opened at $221.08 on Tuesday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $206.39 and a 12-month high of $287.01. The company has a market capitalization of $123.74 billion, a PE ratio of 18.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.00. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $224.52 and its two-hundred day moving average is $244.06.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.88 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $20.93 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.09 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.19% and a negative return on equity of 47.55%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.06 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 23rd were paid a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.08%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is 38.11%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $305.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. KeyCorp raised shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $266.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, April 25th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $266.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $271.52.

Lowe’s Companies Company Profile

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.