Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC Has $45.65 Million Stock Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC trimmed its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.5% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 193,222 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 2,846 shares during the quarter. Lowe’s Companies makes up about 1.6% of Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest holding. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $45,654,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Natixis Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 630,956 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $152,161,000 after purchasing an additional 21,119 shares during the period. Bridges Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 6.1% during the fourth quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 446,441 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $107,664,000 after purchasing an additional 25,609 shares during the period. Glenview Trust Co increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 9.0% in the fourth quarter. Glenview Trust Co now owns 207,797 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $50,112,000 after purchasing an additional 17,225 shares during the last quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 133.9% in the first quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 9,402 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $2,222,000 after purchasing an additional 5,383 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LPL Financial LLC lifted its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 2.3% in the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 993,332 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $239,552,000 after buying an additional 22,175 shares during the period. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

NYSE LOW opened at $208.57 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $116.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.63, a PEG ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.86. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $217.04 and a 200 day simple moving average of $241.57. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $203.40 and a 52-week high of $293.06.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its quarterly 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. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 7.51% and a negative return on equity of 67.96%. The company had revenue of $23.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.98 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.92 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 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. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be issued a dividend of $1.25 per share. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 22nd. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 40.57%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lowe’s Companies

In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.90, for a total value of $3,139,885.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 39,785 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,828,291.50. This trade represents a 26.24% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.83, for a total value of $559,575.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,220 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,525,842.60. This represents a 11.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 25,980 shares of company stock valued at $5,796,937 in the last 90 days. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on LOW. Mizuho cut their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $294.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $320.00 to $270.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Oppenheimer lowered their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $315.00 to $275.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $293.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Piper Sandler reduced their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $276.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $264.57.

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.