CENTRAL TRUST Co Trims Stock Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

CENTRAL TRUST Co decreased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 3.4% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 25,223 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 877 shares during the quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $5,883,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,842,954,000. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC lifted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 350.2% during the fourth quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 2,373,460 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $585,770,000 after purchasing an additional 1,846,315 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 26,796.0% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,657,332 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $386,540,000 after acquiring an additional 1,651,170 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $314,435,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 16.3% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,074,391 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,745,960,000 after acquiring an additional 993,833 shares during the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Down 0.6%

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $215.98 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $121.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.01, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.92. The business has a fifty day moving average of $223.88 and a two-hundred day moving average of $239.26. 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 issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.92 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.88 by $0.04. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 47.55% and a net margin of 8.19%. The firm had revenue of $20.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21.09 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.06 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 23rd will be issued a $1.20 dividend. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.22%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.77%.

Insider Transactions at Lowe’s Companies

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on LOW shares. 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 research report on Tuesday, May 27th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $305.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $263.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. BNP Paribas upgraded Lowe’s Companies to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $253.00 price target (down from $269.00) on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $271.12.

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.