Carnegie Investment Counsel Reduces Stake in Lowe's Companies, Inc. $LOW

Key Points

• Carnegie Investment Counsel trimmed its Lowe’s stake by 3.3% in the first quarter, selling 5,219 shares and ending the period with 153,613 shares valued at about $36.3 million.
• Lowe’s reported solid quarterly results, posting EPS of $3.03 and revenue of $23.08 billion, both ahead of analyst expectations, while raising its full-year FY2026 EPS guidance to $12.25–$12.75.
• The company boosted its quarterly dividend to $1.25 per share from $1.20, and despite recent insider sales and some analyst downgrades, Wall Street still has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy.”

Carnegie Investment Counsel lessened its position in shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 3.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 153,613 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after selling 5,219 shares during the quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel's holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $36,296,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Lowe's Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,993,697,000. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in shares of Lowe's Companies by 102.0% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,204,311 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $1,056,585,000 after purchasing an additional 2,122,622 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in shares of Lowe's Companies by 45.2% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 6,555,565 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $1,580,941,000 after purchasing an additional 2,039,343 shares during the period. J. Stern & Co. LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 7,814.9% in the fourth quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 1,490,369 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $359,417,000 after buying an additional 1,471,539 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. bought a new stake in Lowe's Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $308,683,000. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company's stock.

Lowe's Companies Stock Down 0.6%

NYSE:LOW traded down $1.31 on Friday, reaching $211.69. 2,164,000 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,675,786. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $203.40 and a 12 month high of $293.06. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $219.20 and a 200-day simple moving average of $242.73. The firm has a market cap of $118.70 billion, a PE ratio of 17.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.86.

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

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be paid a dividend of $1.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. This is an increase from Lowe's Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Lowe's Companies's payout ratio is presently 40.57%.

Insider Activity at Lowe's Companies

In other news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.83, for a total value of $559,575.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 20,220 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,525,842.60. This trade represents a 11.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.90, for a total transaction of $3,139,885.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 39,785 shares in the company, valued at $8,828,291.50. The trade was a 26.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 25,980 shares of company stock worth $5,796,937. Company insiders own 0.29% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on LOW shares. BTIG Research cut shares of Lowe's Companies to a "reduce" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Gordon Haskett cut their price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies from $280.00 to $250.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price objective on Lowe's Companies from $303.00 to $281.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Mizuho reduced their price objective on Lowe's Companies from $294.00 to $280.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Lowe's Companies from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Thursday, June 4th. 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 company. According to MarketBeat, Lowe's Companies currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $264.57.

Lowe's Companies Company 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.

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