Godsey & Gibb Inc. Sells 75 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Godsey & Gibb Inc. reduced its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 10.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 640 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 75 shares during the period. Godsey & Gibb Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $149,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Intergy Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the first quarter worth about $240,000. AAFMAA Wealth Management & Trust LLC grew its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 7.7% in the first quarter. AAFMAA Wealth Management & Trust LLC now owns 5,704 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,330,000 after purchasing an additional 409 shares during the period. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC grew its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 0.5% in the first quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC now owns 207,140 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $48,311,000 after purchasing an additional 1,068 shares during the period. Disciplined Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the first quarter worth about $330,000. Finally, Verum Partners LLC grew its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 3.2% in the first quarter. Verum Partners LLC now owns 7,357 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,716,000 after purchasing an additional 225 shares during the period. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Down 1.0%

Shares of LOW stock opened at $225.35 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $206.39 and a 12-month high of $287.01. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $223.72 and its 200 day moving average is $241.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $126.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.79, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.92.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.88 by $0.04. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.19% and a negative return on equity of 47.55%. The company had revenue of $20.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21.09 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.06 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 23rd will be given a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 23rd. This is an increase from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.13%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.77%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 1,130 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.50, for a total value of $257,075.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 31,898 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,256,795. This trade represents a 3.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on LOW shares. Wells Fargo & Company cut 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. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. 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, May 22nd. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $296.00 to $269.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 24th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $240.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 27th. One research 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $271.12.

Lowe’s Companies 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.