78,253 Shares in Lowe's Companies, Inc. $LOW Purchased by Milford Funds Ltd.

Key Points

• Milford Funds Ltd. initiated a new position in Lowe’s, buying 78,253 shares worth about $18.9 million in the fourth quarter.
• Lowe’s reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $3.03 versus estimates of $2.97 and revenue of $23.08 billion, up 10.3% year over year.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.25 per share from $1.20, while analysts currently maintain a Moderate Buy consensus and a $264.57 target price.

Milford Funds Ltd. purchased a new position in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 78,253 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock, valued at approximately $18,871,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased 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 worth $1,212,954,000 after acquiring an additional 411,154 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. increased its stake in shares of Lowe's Companies by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 6,140 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $1,481,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Keystone Investors PTE Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $778,000. Tudor Financial Inc. increased its stake in shares of Lowe's Companies by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Tudor Financial Inc. now owns 8,566 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $2,066,000 after acquiring an additional 241 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allianz SE increased its stake in shares of Lowe's Companies by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Allianz SE now owns 37,216 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $8,975,000 after acquiring an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Lowe's Companies Trading Down 0.2%

LOW opened at $220.57 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $123.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.64, a PEG ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.86. The company's 50 day moving average is $228.38 and its 200 day moving average is $246.14. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $203.40 and a 12-month high of $293.06.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $23.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.98 billion. Lowe's Companies had a net margin of 7.51% and a negative return on equity of 67.96%. The firm's revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.92 earnings per share. Lowe's Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be issued a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. This is a positive change from Lowe's Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Lowe's Companies's payout ratio is 40.57%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LOW has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies from $292.00 to $277.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. KGI Securities initiated coverage on shares of Lowe's Companies in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $255.00 price objective for the company. Oppenheimer reduced their price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies from $315.00 to $275.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies from $260.00 to $255.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Truist Financial reduced their price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies from $280.00 to $255.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe's Companies presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $264.57.

Lowe's Companies Profile

Lowe's Companies, Inc is a leading home improvement retailer that operates large-format stores and digital channels serving both do-it-yourself homeowners and professional contractors. The company offers a broad assortment of products including building materials, lumber, appliances, tools and hardware, plumbing and electrical supplies, paint, flooring, kitchen and bath fixtures, outdoor and garden products, and home decor. Lowe's also provides a range of services such as installation, home improvement financing, tool and equipment rental, and contractor-focused sales programs.

Operations are centered on a nationwide brick-and-mortar store network supported by distribution centers and an e-commerce platform that enables online ordering, delivery and in-store pickup.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LOW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.