Diversified LLC Grows Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Diversified LLC grew its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 4.0% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 1,799 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after buying an additional 70 shares during the quarter. Diversified LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $487,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Stephens Consulting LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 93.3% during the second quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 145 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. JNBA Financial Advisors raised its holdings 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 valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 118.6% during the third quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 129 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Kimelman & Baird LLC bought a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the second quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Tsfg LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 128.2% during the third quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 178 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently commented on LOW. StockNews.com upgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $306.00 to $301.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $272.00 to $270.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. DA Davidson increased their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $240.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $291.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $277.92.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $268.59 on Monday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $196.32 and a one year high of $287.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $152.37 billion, a PE ratio of 22.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.10. The business’s fifty day moving average is $268.74 and its 200 day moving average is $244.92.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 23rd were given a dividend of $1.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, October 23rd. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.71%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.37%.

Insider Activity at Lowe’s Companies

In other Lowe’s Companies news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total value of $1,684,262.58. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 9,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,334,678.06. This trade represents a 41.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $271.45, for a total value of $1,555,408.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 13,214 shares in the company, valued at $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. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.