Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Increases Stock Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 8.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 6,019 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 453 shares during the quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $1,404,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Net Worth Advisory Group raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 60.9% in the first quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group now owns 8,161 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,903,000 after purchasing an additional 3,090 shares in the last quarter. apricus wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the first quarter valued at approximately $207,000. Simon Quick Advisors LLC raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 13.2% in the first quarter. Simon Quick Advisors LLC now owns 3,412 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $796,000 after purchasing an additional 398 shares in the last quarter. Chris Bulman Inc raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 9.8% in the first quarter. Chris Bulman Inc now owns 1,712 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $399,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Finally, McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 5.3% in the first quarter. McKinley Carter Wealth Services Inc. now owns 13,454 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $3,138,000 after purchasing an additional 677 shares in the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on LOW shares. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $305.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $266.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. BNP Paribas raised shares of Lowe’s Companies to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. DA Davidson decreased their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $240.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $295.00 to $285.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $271.12.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 1,130 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 owns 31,898 shares in the company, valued at $7,256,795. The trade was a 3.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 0.8%

NYSE:LOW opened at $223.35 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $125.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.92. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $223.64 and its 200 day simple moving average is $240.51. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $206.39 and a twelve month high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.92 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $20.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21.09 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.06 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 23rd will be issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.15%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 23rd. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is 39.77%.

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.