Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW) Upgraded at Melius Research

Key Points

• Melius Research upgraded Lowe’s to “strong buy,” while the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $254.29.
• Lowe’s most recent quarter showed EPS of $4.40, beating estimates by $0.18, while revenue rose 8.3% year over year to $25.96 billion but fell slightly short of expectations.
• The stock opened at $188.83, below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, and institutional investors own 74.06% of outstanding shares; major holders including BlackRock and State Street increased their positions.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Melius Research to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, Zacks reports.

Several other analysts have also recently weighed in on LOW. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies from $280.00 to $250.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Citigroup reduced their target price on Lowe's Companies from $267.00 to $260.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and set a $231.00 price target on shares of Lowe's Companies in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. UBS Group dropped their price target on Lowe's Companies from $285.00 to $275.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Lowe's Companies from $255.00 to $245.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $254.29.

Lowe's Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE LOW opened at $188.83 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $105.94 billion, a PE ratio of 15.96, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.89. The business has a fifty day moving average of $202.61 and a two-hundred day moving average of $216.55. Lowe's Companies has a 52-week low of $178.45 and a 52-week high of $293.06.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 19th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.40 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.22 by $0.18. Lowe's Companies had a net margin of 7.34% and a negative return on equity of 75.67%. The business had revenue of $25.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $26.13 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.33 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Lowe's Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.250 EPS. Analysts predict that Lowe's Companies will post 12.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lowe's Companies

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. increased its position in Lowe's Companies by 1.8% in the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 40,545,728 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $8,939,928,000 after purchasing an additional 714,092 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its position in Lowe's Companies by 3.6% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 25,329,373 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $5,584,873,000 after purchasing an additional 880,815 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lowe's Companies by 8.9% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 5,029,665 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $1,212,954,000 after purchasing an additional 411,154 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in shares of Lowe's Companies by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 4,104,782 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $905,063,000 after purchasing an additional 57,167 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi grew its position in shares of Lowe's Companies by 57.3% during the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 2,892,868 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $637,848,000 after buying an additional 1,053,237 shares during the period. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe's Companies Company Profile

Lowe's Companies, Inc is a home improvement retailer serving homeowners, renters, and professional contractors primarily in the United States. The company operates through a network of retail stores and digital channels, offering products and services for home repair, maintenance, remodeling, construction, and outdoor living.

Its merchandise includes appliances, tools, hardware, lumber, building materials, plumbing and electrical supplies, paint, flooring, kitchen and bath products, lighting, home décor, lawn and garden equipment, and seasonal goods.

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