Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Stock Position Lessened by Global Trust Asset Management LLC

Global Trust Asset Management LLC decreased its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 2.0% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 15,349 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 314 shares during the period. Lowe’s Companies accounts for approximately 2.2% of Global Trust Asset Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 8th biggest position. Global Trust Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $3,580,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,842,954,000. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 350.2% in the 4th quarter. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC now owns 2,373,460 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $585,770,000 after purchasing an additional 1,846,315 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 26,796.0% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,657,332 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $386,540,000 after acquiring an additional 1,651,170 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $314,435,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 16.3% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,074,391 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,745,960,000 after acquiring an additional 993,833 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lowe’s Companies

In other news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 1,130 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.50, for a total transaction of $257,075.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.27% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:LOW opened at $215.98 on Tuesday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $223.88 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $239.26. The stock has a market cap of $121.04 billion, a PE ratio of 18.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.92. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $206.39 and a one year high of $287.01.

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

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced 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 represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.22%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 23rd. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 39.77%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LOW has been the subject of several analyst reports. Bank of America reduced their price objective 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $263.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $240.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 27th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $244.00 to $242.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, DA Davidson cut their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $240.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $271.12.

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.