Intellectus Partners LLC Acquires 51 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Intellectus Partners LLC raised its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 2.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,404 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after buying an additional 51 shares during the quarter. Intellectus Partners LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $561,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. FMR LLC increased its position in Lowe’s Companies by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. FMR LLC now owns 26,270,496 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $6,483,558,000 after acquiring an additional 259,766 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Lowe’s Companies by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 11,979,337 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $2,952,341,000 after purchasing an additional 245,876 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $1,842,954,000. Northern Trust Corp raised its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 16.3% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,074,391 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,745,960,000 after buying an additional 993,833 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 6.9% in the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 5,035,630 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,242,793,000 after buying an additional 323,371 shares during the period. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 1,130 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.50, for a total value of $257,075.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 31,898 shares in the company, valued at $7,256,795. This trade represents a 3.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $225.35 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $223.72 and its two-hundred day moving average is $241.72. The firm has a market cap of $126.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.79, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.92. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $206.39 and a 52 week high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.88 by $0.04. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.19% and a negative return on equity of 47.55%. The business had revenue of $20.93 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.09 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.06 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 23rd will be issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. This is an increase from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 23rd. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.13%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.77%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $244.00 to $242.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. BNP Paribas raised Lowe’s Companies to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Bank of America cut their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $290.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. DA Davidson reduced their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $240.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, Mizuho set a $280.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $271.12.

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.