Diamant Asset Management Inc. Grows Stock Position in Lowe's Companies, Inc. $LOW

Key Points

• Diamant Asset Management dramatically increased its stake in Lowe’s during the first quarter, buying 343,509 additional shares and lifting its holdings to 344,969 shares worth about $81.5 million.
• Several other institutional investors also adjusted positions in LOW, and overall hedge funds and other institutions own 74.06% of the company’s stock.
• Lowe’s recently beat quarterly earnings expectations and raised its dividend to $1.25 per share; meanwhile, analysts still see upside with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of $264.57.

Diamant Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 23,528.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 344,969 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 343,509 shares during the quarter. Diamant Asset Management Inc. owned approximately 0.06% of Lowe's Companies worth $81,509,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of LOW. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in Lowe's Companies by 119.7% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 31,965 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $7,889,000 after acquiring an additional 17,413 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in Lowe's Companies by 31.6% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,078 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $266,000 after acquiring an additional 259 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in Lowe's Companies by 22.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,534 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $340,000 after purchasing an additional 280 shares in the last quarter. United Bank lifted its stake in Lowe's Companies by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 12,124 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $2,690,000 after purchasing an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 13.1% during the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 2,378 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $528,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on LOW shares. Oppenheimer dropped their price target on Lowe's Companies from $315.00 to $275.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Lowe's Companies from $292.00 to $277.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Benchmark initiated coverage on Lowe's Companies in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. They issued a "hold" rating for the company. BTIG Research cut Lowe's Companies to a "reduce" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, Wolfe Research set a $254.00 target price on Lowe's Companies in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe's Companies currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $264.57.

Lowe's Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LOW opened at $222.42 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $224.26 and a 200-day simple moving average of $244.57. The company has a market capitalization of $124.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.80, a P/E/G ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 0.86. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $203.40 and a 1 year high of $293.06.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $23.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $22.98 billion. Lowe's Companies had a negative return on equity of 67.96% and a net margin of 7.51%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior 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, research analysts expect that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 EPS for the current year.

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be given a $1.25 dividend. This is an increase from Lowe's Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 22nd. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.57%.

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.

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