IFM Investors Pty Ltd Has $29.01 Million Stock Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

IFM Investors Pty Ltd raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 3.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 120,271 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after buying an additional 4,162 shares during the period. IFM Investors Pty Ltd’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $29,005,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 52.5% in the fourth quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. United Financial Planning Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter worth $31,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter worth $34,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 2.4%

LOW opened at $221.45 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $203.40 and a 1-year high of $293.06. The company has a market cap of $124.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $228.68 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $246.32.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 7.51% and a negative return on equity of 67.96%. The firm had revenue of $23.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.98 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.92 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be given a dividend of $1.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is presently 40.57%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on LOW shares. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $257.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Telsey Advisory Group cut their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $295.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $264.00 to $232.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Mizuho cut their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $294.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, TD Cowen cut their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $235.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $264.57.

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.