Associated Banc Corp Sells 239 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Associated Banc Corp trimmed its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 0.2% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 151,626 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 239 shares during the period. Lowe’s Companies comprises about 1.2% of Associated Banc Corp’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest position. Associated Banc Corp’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $41,068,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Diversified LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 4.0% in the third quarter. Diversified LLC now owns 1,799 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $487,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Truvestments Capital LLC lifted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 10.9% during the 3rd quarter. Truvestments Capital LLC now owns 1,036 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $281,000 after buying an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 28,956 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $7,843,000 after buying an additional 625 shares during the last quarter. Boston Family Office LLC grew its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Boston Family Office LLC now owns 22,935 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $6,212,000 after acquiring an additional 247 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Independent Advisor Alliance raised its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 0.6% during the third quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 53,766 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $14,563,000 after acquiring an additional 322 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lowe’s Companies

In other news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total transaction of $1,684,262.58. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 9,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,334,678.06. This represents a 41.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of the company’s 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 30.25 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LOW has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Bank of America upped their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $275.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $305.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $282.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Finally, Loop Capital upgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $250.00 to $300.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $277.92.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 2.2 %

Shares of LOW traded up $5.85 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $270.53. 125,770 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,436,904. The company has a market cap of $153.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.10. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $268.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $244.92. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $196.32 and a 52-week high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 23rd were issued a $1.15 dividend. This is an increase from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.70%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, October 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is currently 38.37%.

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.