Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW Shares Sold by BTC Capital Management Inc.

BTC Capital Management Inc. reduced its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 8.4% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 30,305 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 2,795 shares during the period. BTC Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $7,616,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Howard Hughes Medical Institute acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Solstein Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 627.8% during the second quarter. Solstein Capital LLC now owns 131 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the last quarter. Activest Wealth Management grew its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 78.5% in 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 position in Lowe’s Companies in the second quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 128.8% in the second 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 last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of LOW opened at $287.36 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $261.04 and its 200-day moving average is $251.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $161.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.97. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $206.38 and a one year high of $293.06.

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

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Marvin R. Ellison sold 18,000 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.17, for a total transaction of $4,701,060.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 231,043 shares in the company, valued at approximately $60,341,500.31. This trade represents a 7.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, December 1st. Evercore upped their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $280.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. DA Davidson reduced their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $266.00 to $250.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Argus lowered their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $286.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $296.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Nineteen research 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’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $286.42.

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.