Markel Group Inc. Purchases 9,500 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Markel Group Inc. raised its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.3% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 726,730 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 9,500 shares during the quarter. Lowe’s Companies accounts for 1.5% of Markel Group Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding. Markel Group Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $182,635,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 2.6% during the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 154,692 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $34,322,000 after buying an additional 3,947 shares during the period. Facet Wealth Inc. bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter valued at approximately $558,000. First Pacific Financial boosted its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 147.3% in the second quarter. First Pacific Financial now owns 2,752 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $611,000 after acquiring an additional 1,639 shares during the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. grew its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 0.7% during the 2nd quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 826,356 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $183,344,000 after acquiring an additional 5,820 shares during the period. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC raised its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 22.0% during the 2nd quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 497,628 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $110,409,000 after acquiring an additional 89,839 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Lowe’s Companies

In related news, CEO Marvin R. Ellison sold 18,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.17, for a total value of $4,701,060.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 231,043 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $60,341,500.31. This trade represents a 7.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently commented on LOW. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, HSBC lowered their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $285.00 to $263.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $283.65.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:LOW opened at $277.81 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $155.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.04, a PEG ratio of 4.59 and a beta of 0.96. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $206.38 and a 12 month high of $281.36. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $250.33 and its 200 day simple moving average is $246.71.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, November 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $20.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.88 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 55.86% and a net margin of 8.05%.The company’s revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.89 EPS. Research analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 21st will be paid a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 21st. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.80%.

Lowe’s Companies Profile

Lowe’s Companies, Inc is a leading home improvement retailer that operates large-format stores and digital channels serving both do-it-yourself homeowners and professional contractors. The company offers a broad assortment of products including building materials, lumber, appliances, tools and hardware, plumbing and electrical supplies, paint, flooring, kitchen and bath fixtures, outdoor and garden products, and home decor. Lowe’s also provides a range of services such as installation, home improvement financing, tool and equipment rental, and contractor-focused sales programs.

Operations are centered on a nationwide brick-and-mortar store network supported by distribution centers and an e-commerce platform that enables online ordering, delivery and in-store pickup.