Analysts Set Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Price Target at $283.65

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) has received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-eight analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eight have assigned a hold recommendation and nineteen have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $284.8077.

LOW has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Argus cut their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $286.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $295.00 to $290.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Barclays raised shares of Lowe’s Companies from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $285.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $282.00 to $284.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $325.00 to $316.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 20th.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Down 0.4%

LOW stock traded down $0.97 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $274.88. The company had a trading volume of 139,598 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,859,752. Lowe’s Companies has a 52 week low of $206.38 and a 52 week high of $281.36. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $255.88 and its 200 day moving average price is $249.04. The stock has a market cap of $154.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.79, a PEG ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 0.97.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.09. The company 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 firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.89 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Marvin R. Ellison sold 18,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.17, for a total value of $4,701,060.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 231,043 shares in the company, valued at $60,341,500.31. This trade represents a 7.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lowe’s Companies

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 119.7% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 31,965 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $7,889,000 after acquiring an additional 17,413 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 31.6% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,078 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $266,000 after purchasing an additional 259 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 22.3% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,534 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $340,000 after buying an additional 280 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.8% during the second quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 291,403 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $64,654,000 after buying an additional 2,247 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Capital Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,191 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $2,483,000 after buying an additional 256 shares in the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.