Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW Shares Acquired by Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC

Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 76.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 5,897 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,552 shares during the period. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $1,482,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Howard Hughes Medical Institute acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the second quarter worth $27,000. Solstein Capital LLC raised its position in Lowe’s Companies by 627.8% in the second quarter. Solstein Capital LLC now owns 131 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the period. Activest Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 78.5% during the third quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 116 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Traub Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the second quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 128.8% during the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 135 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the period. 74.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 1.1%

NYSE:LOW opened at $278.02 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $155.96 billion, a PE ratio of 23.05, a P/E/G ratio of 4.35 and a beta of 0.97. The business’s 50 day moving average is $257.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $249.77. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $206.38 and a 52 week high of $281.36.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its quarterly 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 business had revenue of $20.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.88 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.89 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 1st. 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 research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $252.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. HSBC cut their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $285.00 to $263.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Finally, Oppenheimer dropped their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $320.00 to $315.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 5th. Nineteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $284.77.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Marvin R. Ellison sold 18,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.17, for a total transaction of $4,701,060.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 231,043 shares in the company, valued at $60,341,500.31. This represents a 7.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Lowe’s Companies Company 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.