Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) Upgraded by Telsey Advisory Group to Outperform Rating

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) was upgraded by investment analysts at Telsey Advisory Group from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a note issued to investors on Friday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has a $305.00 price objective on the home improvement retailer’s stock, up from their previous price objective of $275.00. Telsey Advisory Group’s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 12.50% from the stock’s previous close.

LOW has been the subject of several other reports. Gordon Haskett decreased their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $245.00 to $240.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. Oppenheimer upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $230.00 to $305.00 in a research report on Tuesday, September 24th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $273.44.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

NYSE LOW traded up $4.80 on Friday, hitting $271.10. The company had a trading volume of 2,102,467 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,186,897. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $264.61 and its 200-day moving average price is $242.17. The company has a market capitalization of $153.79 billion, a PE ratio of 22.48, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.10. Lowe’s Companies has a 12-month low of $189.05 and a 12-month high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.96 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $23.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $23.93 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.25% and a negative return on equity of 47.07%. Lowe’s Companies’s revenue was down 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.56 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies will post 11.91 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $271.45, for a total transaction of $1,555,408.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 13,214 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,586,940.30. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total transaction of $1,684,262.58. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 9,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,334,678.06. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.45, for a total transaction of $1,555,408.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 13,214 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,586,940.30. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.26% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lowe’s Companies

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Stephens Consulting LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 93.3% during the 2nd quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 145 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 555.6% during the third quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors now owns 118 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 118.6% in the third quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 129 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the period. Kimelman & Baird LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the second quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Tsfg LLC grew its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 128.2% in the third quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 178 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.