Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW Shares Acquired by Eastern Bank

Eastern Bank grew its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 2.9% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 128,072 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,639 shares during the period. Eastern Bank’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $28,239,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,993,697,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 45.2% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 6,555,565 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,580,941,000 after acquiring an additional 2,039,343 shares in the last quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 7,814.9% in the 4th quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 1,490,369 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $359,417,000 after acquiring an additional 1,471,539 shares in the last quarter. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth $308,683,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Lowe’s Companies by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 56,230,787 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $13,560,617,000 after acquiring an additional 924,625 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LOW opened at $212.14 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $214.62 and its two-hundred day moving average is $238.17. The company has a market cap of $118.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 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 issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 earnings per share (EPS) 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 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 business posted $2.92 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be paid a $1.25 dividend. This is an increase from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 22nd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 42.27%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on LOW shares. Wolfe Research set a $254.00 price objective on Lowe’s Companies in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Benchmark initiated coverage on Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $220.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Piper Sandler dropped their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $276.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on 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. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $263.67.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lowe’s Companies

In other news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were 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. The trade was a 11.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of Lowe’s Companies 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 16,142 shares in the company, valued at $3,628,883.02. The trade was a 36.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 25,980 shares of company stock worth $5,796,937. 0.29% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.