Epic Trust Investment Advisors LLC Has $343,000 Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Epic Trust Investment Advisors LLC lessened its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 13.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,539 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 235 shares during the period. Epic Trust Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $343,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board increased its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 187,225.6% in the 3rd quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board now owns 2,111,159 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $438,783,000 after purchasing an additional 2,110,032 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $430,090,000. Schroder Investment Management Group raised its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 189.5% in the third quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 2,798,268 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $581,592,000 after buying an additional 1,831,727 shares during the period. Aristotle Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 143.8% in the third quarter. Aristotle Capital Management LLC now owns 1,361,716 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $283,019,000 after buying an additional 803,216 shares during the period. Finally, J.P. Morgan Private Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter worth about $144,530,000. 74.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Down 1.3 %

Shares of NYSE:LOW traded down $2.95 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $227.99. 1,364,477 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,478,019. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $240.06 and a 200 day simple moving average of $220.18. The firm has a market cap of $130.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.13. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $181.85 and a 1-year high of $262.49.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.68 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $18.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.47 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.94% and a negative return on equity of 51.42%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 17.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.28 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.21 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 8th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 24th will be paid a $1.10 dividend. This represents a $4.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.93%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is presently 33.43%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on LOW shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $235.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th. StockNews.com downgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Telsey Advisory Group restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $230.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. Zelman & Associates reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $265.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $265.00 to $268.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 28th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $252.52.

Lowe’s Companies Company Profile

Lowe's Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a home improvement retailer in the United States. The company offers a line of products for construction, maintenance, repair, remodeling, and decorating. It also provides home improvement products, such as appliances, seasonal and outdoor living, lawn and garden, lumber, kitchens and bath, tools, paint, millwork, hardware, flooring, rough plumbing, building materials, décor, and electrical.