Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-six ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, nine have given a hold recommendation and sixteen have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $285.50.

A number of research analysts have issued reports on LOW shares. DA Davidson lifted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $240.00 to $266.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $243.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 21st. Citigroup decreased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $253.00 to $242.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $240.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, August 18th. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $285.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, August 21st.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Down 0.3%

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $247.32 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies has a 12-month low of $206.38 and a 12-month high of $287.01. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $253.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $233.92. The stock has a market cap of $138.70 billion, a PE ratio of 20.32, a P/E/G ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.88.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.09. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 52.02% and a net margin of 8.20%.The firm had revenue of $23.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $23.99 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.10 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 12.200-12.450 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 22nd will be issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 22nd. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is 39.44%.

Insider Transactions at Lowe’s Companies

In other news, EVP Brandon J. Sink sold 8,192 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.58, for a total transaction of $2,200,207.36. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 21,603 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,802,133.74. The trade was a 27.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Marvin R. Ellison sold 40,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.10, for a total value of $10,564,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 249,043 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,772,256.30. This trade represents a 13.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 92,931 shares of company stock valued at $24,945,752. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lowe’s Companies

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Waterloo Capital L.P. lifted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 1.2% during the second quarter. Waterloo Capital L.P. now owns 3,455 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $767,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Vertex Planning Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Vertex Planning Partners LLC now owns 1,582 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $369,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Operose Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.4% in the second quarter. Operose Advisors LLC now owns 3,331 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $739,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the period. Watts Gwilliam & Co. LLC increased its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 4.3% in the second quarter. Watts Gwilliam & Co. LLC now owns 1,094 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $243,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the period. Finally, Quadcap Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.5% in the first quarter. Quadcap Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,386 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $2,189,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the period. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.