Gradient Investments LLC Sells 2,472 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Gradient Investments LLC cut its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 139,128 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 2,472 shares during the period. Gradient Investments LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $30,676,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of LOW. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $1,993,697,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 45.2% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 6,555,565 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,580,941,000 after purchasing an additional 2,039,343 shares in the last quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP boosted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 7,814.9% during the fourth quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 1,490,369 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $359,417,000 after purchasing an additional 1,471,539 shares in the last quarter. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $308,683,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 924,625 shares during the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 2.1%

Shares of LOW stock opened at $223.03 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $199.40 and a 1-year high of $293.06. The stock has a market cap of $125.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.85, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.86. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $214.99 and a 200-day moving average of $236.85.

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. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.46 earnings per share 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 paid a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 22nd. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. This is an increase from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is currently 42.27%.

Insider Activity

In related news, 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 owned 16,142 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,628,883.02. This trade represents a 36.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.90, for a total transaction of $3,139,885.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 39,785 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,828,291.50. The trade was a 26.24% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 25,980 shares of company stock valued at $5,796,937. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. BTIG Research lowered shares of Lowe’s Companies to a “reduce” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. KeyCorp reduced their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $275.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. HSBC decreased their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $220.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on shares of 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 equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $263.67.

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.