Navellier & Associates Inc. Cuts Stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Navellier & Associates Inc. lessened its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 2.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,996 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 115 shares during the period. Navellier & Associates Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $900,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 119.7% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 31,965 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $7,889,000 after acquiring an additional 17,413 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 31.6% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,078 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $266,000 after acquiring an additional 259 shares in the last quarter. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. grew its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 171.0% during the 4th quarter. Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. now owns 4,146 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,023,000 after acquiring an additional 2,616 shares in the last quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. grew its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 77.6% during the 4th quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 2,532 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $625,000 after acquiring an additional 1,106 shares in the last quarter. Finally, WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $300,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $226.83 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $127.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.79, a PEG ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.90. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $206.38 and a one year high of $287.01. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $223.04 and a two-hundred day moving average of $232.46.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.92 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.88 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $20.93 billion during 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%. Lowe’s Companies’s quarterly revenue was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.06 EPS. 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 business 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 represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.12%. The ex-dividend date 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 (DPR) is currently 39.77%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LOW has been the subject of several analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 5th. DA Davidson lowered their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $240.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $266.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. KeyCorp upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $266.00 target price for the company in a report on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $271.12.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 1,130 shares of the 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 31,898 shares in the company, valued at $7,256,795. This trade represents a 3.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.27% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.