Willis Investment Counsel Has $20.96 Million Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Willis Investment Counsel increased its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 6.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 83,418 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,371 shares during the period. Willis Investment Counsel’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $20,964,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Maj Invest Holding A S increased its position in Lowe’s Companies by 15.7% in the third quarter. Maj Invest Holding A S now owns 802,990 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $201,801,000 after purchasing an additional 108,813 shares during the last quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Lowe’s Companies by 13.4% in the third quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 420,832 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $105,759,000 after acquiring an additional 49,858 shares in the last quarter. Facet Wealth Inc. bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter worth approximately $558,000. Prudential Financial Inc. raised its position in Lowe’s Companies by 0.7% during the second quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 826,356 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $183,344,000 after purchasing an additional 5,820 shares during the period. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 22.0% in the 2nd quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 497,628 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $110,409,000 after purchasing an additional 89,839 shares during the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

LOW stock opened at $277.00 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $206.38 and a one year high of $281.36. The firm has a market cap of $155.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.94, a PEG ratio of 4.31 and a beta of 0.97. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $256.54 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $249.22.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $20.81 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.88 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.05% and a negative return on equity of 55.86%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.89 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 21st were paid a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, January 21st. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is presently 39.80%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LOW has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $252.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $282.00 to $284.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $295.00 to $290.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Truist Financial set a $295.00 target price on Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $325.00 to $316.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Nineteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $284.81.

Insider Transactions at Lowe’s Companies

In other Lowe’s Companies news, CEO Marvin R. Ellison sold 18,000 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.17, for a total transaction of $4,701,060.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 231,043 shares in the company, valued at approximately $60,341,500.31. This trade represents a 7.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.27% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.