Econ Financial Services Corp Acquires 4,147 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Econ Financial Services Corp increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 26.2% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 19,974 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,147 shares during the quarter. Lowe’s Companies makes up 2.2% of Econ Financial Services Corp’s portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest holding. Econ Financial Services Corp’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $4,719,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Swiss RE Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora boosted 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 acquiring an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Sankala Group LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Mizuho dropped their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $294.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Telsey Advisory Group cut their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $295.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. KeyCorp reduced their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $275.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Raymond James Financial downgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “market perform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $264.57.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 0.2%

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $222.42 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $203.40 and a 52-week high of $293.06. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $224.26 and its 200 day moving average is $244.57. The company has a market cap of $124.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.80, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.86.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $23.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.98 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 7.51% and a negative return on equity of 67.96%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.92 EPS. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be given a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 22nd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.57%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.90, for a total transaction of $3,139,885.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 39,785 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,828,291.50. This represents a 26.24% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.83, for a total value of $559,575.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 20,220 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,525,842.60. This represents a 11.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 25,980 shares of company stock valued at $5,796,937 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.29% 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.