First Nebraska Trust Co Purchases Shares of 35,846 Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

First Nebraska Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 35,846 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $8,470,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in LOW. Swiss RE Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 52.5% during the 4th quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the period. Sankala Group LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

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 value of $3,139,885.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 39,785 shares of the company’s stock, 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 can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.83, for a total transaction of $559,575.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,220 shares in the company, valued at $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. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 25,980 shares of company stock worth $5,796,937. 0.29% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on LOW shares. Craig Hallum raised Lowe’s Companies to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. William Blair initiated coverage on Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. They set an “overweight” rating on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group cut their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $295.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $303.00 to $281.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $292.00 to $277.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $263.67.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

LOW stock opened at $208.57 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $116.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.86. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $199.40 and a 52-week high of $293.06. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $214.69 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $238.83.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $23.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.98 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 67.96% and a net margin of 7.51%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.92 EPS. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be issued a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. This is an increase 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 is currently 42.27%.

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.