Strategic Advisors LLC Invests $1.02 Million in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Strategic Advisors LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 4,042 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,016,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Waterloo Capital L.P. lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Waterloo Capital L.P. now owns 3,455 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $767,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. TruWealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 2.7% during the third quarter. TruWealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,580 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $397,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the period. Cypress Wealth Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 2.0% during the third quarter. Cypress Wealth Services LLC now owns 2,191 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $551,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Hidden Cove Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 4.6% in the 3rd quarter. Hidden Cove Wealth Management LLC now owns 960 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $241,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the period. Finally, Roble Belko & Company Inc increased its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 21.4% in the 3rd quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 250 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $63,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on LOW shares. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $252.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Gordon Haskett raised shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $280.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $296.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Wolfe Research dropped their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $308.00 to $285.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Nineteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $283.65.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of LOW opened at $269.66 on Thursday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $206.38 and a 12 month high of $281.36. The company’s fifty day moving average is $252.23 and its 200-day moving average is $247.22. The firm has a market cap of $151.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.54 and a beta of 0.96.

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

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 21st will be given a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 21st. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is currently 39.80%.

Insider Transactions at Lowe’s Companies

In other Lowe’s Companies news, CEO Marvin R. Ellison sold 18,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.17, for a total transaction of $4,701,060.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 231,043 shares in the company, valued at $60,341,500.31. This represents a 7.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.27% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Lowe’s Companies Company 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.