Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) have been assigned an average rating of “Hold” from the twenty-six brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $251.33.

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wedbush reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Mizuho assumed coverage on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Tuesday, March 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $280.00 price target on the stock. Evercore ISI cut their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $255.00 to $250.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Oppenheimer reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $230.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Monday, March 4th. Finally, Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $243.00 to $240.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 7th.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Down 1.5 %

Shares of LOW opened at $223.36 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies has a 12 month low of $181.85 and a 12 month high of $262.49. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $227.20 and its 200-day moving average is $226.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $127.28 billion, a PE ratio of 17.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.08.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.94 by $0.12. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.46% and a negative return on equity of 48.52%. The company had revenue of $21.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21.14 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.67 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies will post 12.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 24th will be paid a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.27%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 24th. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 35.34%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lowe’s Companies

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $1,638,746,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 5.2% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 53,693,630 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $13,677,378,000 after buying an additional 2,674,372 shares during the period. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 187,225.6% during the 3rd 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 buying an additional 2,110,032 shares during the period. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $430,090,000. Finally, Schroder Investment Management Group boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 189.5% during 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 buying an additional 1,831,727 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

About Lowe’s Companies

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.