Baugh & Associates LLC Increases Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Baugh & Associates LLC increased its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 6.1% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 38,083 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,179 shares during the period. Lowe’s Companies makes up about 4.3% of Baugh & Associates LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest position. Baugh & Associates LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $8,541,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Orion Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Inlight Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the 1st quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, IFS Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 60.0% in the 1st quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 160 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Lowe’s Companies

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

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:LOW opened at $220.76 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $223.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $236.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $123.72 billion, a PE ratio of 18.29, a P/E/G ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.92. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $206.39 and a 52-week high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued 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. 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 8.22% and a negative return on equity of 49.12%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.06 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 23rd will be issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 23rd. This is an increase from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 39.77%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on LOW shares. Mizuho restated an “outperform” rating and set a $280.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Friday, June 13th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $240.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 27th. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $253.00 price target (down previously from $269.00) on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $244.00 to $242.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, DA Davidson lowered their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $240.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price 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.