State of Wisconsin Investment Board Has $70.07 Million Stock Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

State of Wisconsin Investment Board trimmed its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 5.1% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 290,546 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 15,484 shares during the quarter. State of Wisconsin Investment Board’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $70,068,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 608,084 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $146,645,000 after acquiring an additional 3,382 shares during the period. &PARTNERS lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. &PARTNERS now owns 291,820 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $70,345,000 after acquiring an additional 12,544 shares during the period. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 4.0% during the 4th quarter. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH now owns 18,146 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $4,413,000 after acquiring an additional 692 shares during the period. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 53.5% during the 4th quarter. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas now owns 39,539 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $9,535,000 after acquiring an additional 13,784 shares during the period. Finally, Rakuten Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 3,042.1% during the 4th quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. now owns 73,776 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $17,989,000 after acquiring an additional 71,428 shares during the period. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of LOW opened at $223.88 on Wednesday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $203.40 and a 12-month high of $293.06. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $228.01 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $246.01. The stock has a market cap of $125.53 billion, a PE ratio of 18.92, a PEG ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.86.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.06. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 67.96% and a net margin of 7.51%.The business 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 firm earned $2.92 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter 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, equities research analysts expect 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 $1.25 dividend. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is currently 40.57%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group cut their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $315.00 to $285.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $220.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Mizuho lowered their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $294.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $320.00 to $270.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane dropped their price objective on 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. Twenty-three 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, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $264.57.

Lowe’s Companies Company 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.