Brokerages Set Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Target Price at $283.65

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-eight research firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eight have issued a hold recommendation and nineteen have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $284.8077.

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $325.00 to $316.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $280.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $282.00 to $284.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

LOW stock opened at $269.37 on Thursday. Lowe’s Companies has a 1 year low of $206.38 and a 1 year high of $281.36. The company has a market cap of $151.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.43 and a beta of 0.97. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $254.47 and its 200-day moving average price is $248.46.

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

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Investors 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 1.8%. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is 39.80%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Lowe’s Companies news, CEO Marvin R. Ellison sold 18,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.17, for a total value of $4,701,060.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 231,043 shares in the company, valued at approximately $60,341,500.31. This represents a 7.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Lowe’s Companies

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $7,889,000 after purchasing an additional 17,413 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in Lowe’s Companies by 31.6% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,078 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $266,000 after purchasing an additional 259 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 22.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,534 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $340,000 after purchasing an additional 280 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 291,403 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $64,654,000 after purchasing an additional 2,247 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,191 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $2,483,000 after purchasing an additional 256 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

About Lowe’s Companies

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.