XML Financial LLC Decreases Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

XML Financial LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 4.6% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 5,467 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 266 shares during the period. XML Financial LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $1,275,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. FMR LLC boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. FMR LLC now owns 26,270,496 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $6,483,558,000 after purchasing an additional 259,766 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 11,979,337 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $2,952,341,000 after purchasing an additional 245,876 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth $1,842,954,000. Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 16.3% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,074,391 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,745,960,000 after purchasing an additional 993,833 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 6.9% during the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 5,035,630 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,242,793,000 after purchasing an additional 323,371 shares during the period. 74.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of NYSE:LOW opened at $212.40 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $223.03 and its two-hundred day moving average is $237.56. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $206.39 and a 52 week high of $287.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $119.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.60, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.92.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.92 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.88 by $0.04. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.22% and a negative return on equity of 49.12%. The company had revenue of $20.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.09 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.06 earnings per share. Lowe’s Companies’s revenue was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 23rd will be issued a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 23rd. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.26%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.11%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on LOW. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $296.00 to $269.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, March 24th. Truist Financial set a $264.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $290.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $305.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st. Finally, DA Davidson decreased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $240.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $271.12.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 1,130 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.50, for a total value of $257,075.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 31,898 shares in the company, valued at $7,256,795. This trade represents a 3.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Profile

Lowe’s Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a home improvement retailer in the United States. The company offers a line of products for construction, maintenance, repair, remodeling, and decorating. It also provides home improvement products, such as appliances, seasonal and outdoor living, lawn and garden, lumber, kitchens and bath, tools, paint, millwork, hardware, flooring, rough plumbing, building materials, décor, and electrical.