Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Increases Stock Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 8.7% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 67,423 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,371 shares during the quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $16,260,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 52.5% during the fourth quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. United Financial Planning Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter worth about $34,000. Guerra Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter worth about $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently issued reports on LOW shares. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $292.00 to $277.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Raymond James Financial cut shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “market perform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Gordon Haskett reduced their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $250.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $303.00 to $281.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $264.57.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:LOW opened at $214.45 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $232.49 and its 200 day moving average price is $247.46. The stock has a market cap of $120.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.87. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $208.00 and a fifty-two week high of $293.06.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $23.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.98 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 7.51% and a negative return on equity of 67.96%. The firm’s revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.92 earnings per share. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.5 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be issued a $1.25 dividend. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. This is a positive change from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 40.57%.

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.