PDS Planning Inc Boosts Stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

PDS Planning Inc increased its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 5.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,691 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 259 shares during the period. PDS Planning Inc’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $1,094,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Inlight Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the first quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, IFS Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 60.0% in the first quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 160 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 1,130 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.50, for a total transaction of $257,075.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 31,898 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,256,795. The trade was a 3.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 0.4%

NYSE LOW opened at $220.76 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $223.03 and its 200 day moving average price is $236.94. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $206.39 and a twelve month high of $287.01. The company has a market capitalization of $123.72 billion, a PE ratio of 18.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.92.

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 for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.88 by $0.04. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.22% and a negative return on equity of 49.12%. The business had revenue of $20.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.09 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.06 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on LOW shares. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $240.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 27th. Bank of America decreased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $290.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on 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 target on Lowe’s Companies and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, Mizuho reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $280.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Friday, June 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $271.12.

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.