Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW Shares Sold by Assenagon Asset Management S.A.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lessened its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 71.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 68,379 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 172,834 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $16,157,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of LOW. Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora raised its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 52.5% during the fourth quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. United Financial Planning Group LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Sankala Group LLC acquired a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:LOW opened at $222.42 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $124.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 0.86. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $224.26 and its 200-day simple moving average is $244.57. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $203.40 and a 12 month high of $293.06.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $23.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.98 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 67.96% and a net margin of 7.51%.Lowe’s Companies’s quarterly revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.92 EPS. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be given 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 dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 22nd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 40.57%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have weighed in on LOW. Oppenheimer lowered their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $315.00 to $275.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 18th. KeyCorp reduced their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $275.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. TD Cowen decreased their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $235.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note 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 on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $264.57.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.83, for a total value of $559,575.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 20,220 shares in the company, valued at $4,525,842.60. The trade was a 11.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 39,785 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,828,291.50. The trade was a 26.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 25,980 shares of company stock worth $5,796,937 over the last 90 days. 0.29% of the stock is currently 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.