Aurora Private Wealth Inc. Takes Position in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Aurora Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new stake in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund acquired 20,357 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock, valued at approximately $4,748,000.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $1,842,954,000. Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC lifted its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 1,846,315 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position 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 worth $386,540,000 after acquiring an additional 1,651,170 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Lowe's Companies during the fourth quarter worth $314,435,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its position in shares of Lowe's Companies by 16.3% in the fourth 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. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Lowe's Companies Price Performance

LOW stock traded up $0.77 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $221.47. 2,250,147 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,528,273. The stock has a market capitalization of $124.12 billion, a PE ratio of 18.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.92. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $206.39 and a 52 week high of $287.01. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $223.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $236.94.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.92 earnings per share (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 firm had revenue of $20.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $21.09 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.06 EPS. The company's revenue was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 23rd. This is an increase 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%. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 38.11%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LOW has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on Lowe's Companies from $295.00 to $285.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of Lowe's Companies from $305.00 to $290.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Lowe's Companies from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. 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. Finally, 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 note on Wednesday, May 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $271.12.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lowe's Companies

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

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.