Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Shares Sold by Swiss National Bank

Swiss National Bank cut its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 4.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,804,700 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 80,000 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $401,636,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. Morgan Stanley lifted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 1.1% in the third quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 10,930,693 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $2,271,836,000 after buying an additional 116,855 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,138,824 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,483,733,000 after purchasing an additional 78,901 shares during the period. Schroder Investment Management Group increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 189.5% in the 3rd quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 2,798,268 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $581,592,000 after purchasing an additional 1,831,727 shares during the last quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board raised its position in Lowe’s Companies by 187,225.6% in the third quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board now owns 2,111,159 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $438,783,000 after purchasing an additional 2,110,032 shares during the period. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth $430,090,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 0.1 %

NYSE:LOW traded up $0.21 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $227.73. 709,078 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,464,274. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $181.85 and a 1 year high of $262.49. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $240.10 and a 200-day simple moving average of $220.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $130.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.28, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.15.

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

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently issued reports on LOW. Gordon Haskett reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $245.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, April 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $235.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $218.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. Mizuho started coverage on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Tuesday, March 19th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $280.00 price target for the company. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $240.00 to $225.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 16th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target 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.