Achmea Investment Management B.V. Has $22.98 Million Position in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Achmea Investment Management B.V. lifted its holdings in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 5.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 98,530 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 5,391 shares during the period. Achmea Investment Management B.V.'s holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $22,980,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in LOW. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe's Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations acquired a new position in Lowe's Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Orion Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Lowe's Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Inlight Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Lowe's Companies in the 1st quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, IFS Advisors LLC grew its position in Lowe's Companies by 60.0% in the 1st quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 160 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on LOW. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $266.00 price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Lowe's Companies from $300.00 to $255.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Lowe's Companies from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Citigroup restated a "neutral" rating and set a $253.00 price objective (down from $269.00) on shares of Lowe's Companies in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. Finally, 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $271.12.

Lowe's Companies Trading Up 0.3%

LOW opened at $221.47 on Friday. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $206.39 and a 1-year high of $287.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $124.12 billion, a PE ratio of 18.35, a PEG ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.92. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $223.08 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $236.58.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.92 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.88 by $0.04. Lowe's Companies had a net margin of 8.22% and a negative return on equity of 49.12%. The business had revenue of $20.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $21.09 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.06 earnings per share. Lowe's Companies's revenue was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current year.

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 23rd will be paid a $1.20 dividend. This is a boost from Lowe's Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.17%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 23rd. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.11%.

Insider Transactions at Lowe's Companies

In other news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 1,130 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.50, for a total value of $257,075.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 31,898 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,256,795. This represents a 3.42% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Lowe's Companies 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.

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