Foster & Motley Inc. Has $3.29 Million Stock Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Foster & Motley Inc. decreased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 15.5% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 14,937 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 2,739 shares during the quarter. Foster & Motley Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $3,293,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of LOW. Swiss RE Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Sankala Group LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Key Lowe’s Companies News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Investors are looking for Lowe’s Pro customer growth, online sales momentum and expansion in home services to support results. The company’s Total Home strategy is also viewed as a longer-term value-creation opportunity. Is Lowe’s a Buy Ahead of Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street expects revenue growth to accelerate materially from the prior-year period, while largely steady analyst estimates suggest relatively firm confidence in Lowe’s near-term operating outlook. Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating. Expected Revenue Acceleration and Steady Forecasts
• Neutral Sentiment: The earnings release is expected to produce a sizable share-price move, with investors focused on comparable-store sales, gross margins, earnings guidance and management’s view of housing-related demand. Expected Earnings Moves for Home Depot and Lowe’s
• Neutral Sentiment: Lowe’s reports alongside other major retailers, including Target and recently Home Depot, giving investors a broader read on U.S. consumer spending and the home-improvement market. Target or Lowe’s Ahead of Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Weak do-it-yourself demand, cautious consumers and limited housing activity could offset strength in Pro sales, digital channels and services. Higher costs may also pressure margins, making the earnings beat-and-guidance combination especially important. Lowe’s Earnings Preview
• Negative Sentiment: The shares remain well below their 52-week high and below their longer-term moving average, reflecting investor concern that Lowe’s may remain dependent on a delayed housing recovery. Comparisons with Home Depot, which is viewed as having steadier estimates, add competitive pressure. Lowe’s Q2 Earnings Preview

Insider Transactions at Lowe’s Companies

In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.81, for a total transaction of $2,097,477.30. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 16,142 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,628,883.02. This represents a 36.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 20,220 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,525,842.60. The trade was a 11.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 25,980 shares of company stock worth $5,796,937 over the last three months. 0.29% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $293.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Mizuho decreased 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 report on Thursday, May 21st. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $228.00 to $202.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $220.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $278.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $262.63.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Shares of LOW opened at $215.94 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $216.12 and a 200-day moving average of $233.78. The company has a market capitalization of $121.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.86. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $199.40 and a 1 year high of $293.06.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $23.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.98 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 67.96% and a net margin of 7.51%.The firm’s revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.92 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.43 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd were given a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 22nd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 42.27%.

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.