Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) Shares Gap Down – Time to Sell?

Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) gapped down prior to trading on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $278.59, but opened at $266.25. Lowe’s Companies shares last traded at $265.8780, with a volume of 1,113,441 shares trading hands.

Key Headlines Impacting Lowe’s Companies

Here are the key news stories impacting Lowe’s Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat — Lowe’s reported adjusted EPS of $1.98 and revenue of $20.58B, topping consensus estimates and showing ~11% YoY revenue growth driven by pro builders and holiday strength. Lowe’s (LOW) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Top‑line momentum from Pro channel and comps improvement — management cited continued strength in professional customers, which helped offset weakness in remodel activity. Lowe’s Sales Rise on Pro Builder Business Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: FY26 guidance mixed — Lowe’s gave EPS guidance of $12.25–12.75 (roughly in line with Street) and raised revenue guidance to $92–94B (above some estimates), leaving investors parsing the math between stronger top‑line targets and cautious tone. LOW Q4 Press Release / Guidance Slide Deck
• Negative Sentiment: Cautious commentary weighed on the stock — management warned of ongoing uncertainty in the home‑improvement category and that customers are deferring big‑ticket remodels, prompting an intraday selloff. Lowe’s forecasts downbeat annual sales as customers defer big-ticket home remodels
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP profit pulled down by one‑time charges — reported diluted EPS (GAAP) was $1.78 vs. adjusted $1.98, reflecting charges that reduced headline profit and complicate read‑throughs. Lowe’s Q4 Profit Down, Comps Rise; Sees Flat To Higher Comps In FY26
• Negative Sentiment: Elevated bearish positioning — notable rise in put option volume suggests traders are positioning for further downside in the near term.
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate restructuring announced — about 600 corporate/support roles cut to shift resources to stores and digital/AI initiatives; could improve long‑term efficiency but adds short‑term execution risk and transitional costs. Lowe’s Resets Corporate Structure And Payments As Valuation Risks Mount

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently weighed in on LOW. Gordon Haskett lifted their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Oppenheimer dropped their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $320.00 to $315.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Truist Financial set a $295.00 target price on Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $320.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $289.59.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Down 4.6%

The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $265.77 and a 200-day moving average price of $254.17. The company has a market capitalization of $149.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.02, a PEG ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 0.97.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.98 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $20.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.34 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 55.86% and a net margin of 8.05%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.93 earnings per share. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.75 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Marvin R. Ellison sold 18,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lowe’s Companies

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Maj Invest Holding A S lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 15.7% during the 3rd quarter. Maj Invest Holding A S now owns 802,990 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $201,801,000 after buying an additional 108,813 shares during the last quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Lowe’s Companies by 13.4% during the third quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 420,832 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $105,759,000 after acquiring an additional 49,858 shares in the last quarter. Facet Wealth Inc. bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter valued at approximately $558,000. Prudential Financial Inc. lifted its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 0.7% in the second quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 826,356 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $183,344,000 after acquiring an additional 5,820 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC grew its position in Lowe’s Companies by 22.0% in the second quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 497,628 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $110,409,000 after acquiring an additional 89,839 shares in the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.