Ethic Inc. Grows Stake in Lowe's Companies, Inc. $LOW

Key Points

• Ethic Inc. increased its stake in Lowe’s by 7.1% in the fourth quarter, ending with 82,262 shares valued at about $19.8 million. Several other institutional investors also added to their Lowe’s positions, and institutions now own 74.06% of the company.
• Lowe’s reported strong quarterly results, posting EPS of $1.98 and revenue of $20.59 billion, both above analyst expectations. Revenue rose 10.9% year over year, and the company issued FY2026 EPS guidance of $12.25 to $12.75.
• The company continues to return cash to shareholders, paying a quarterly dividend of $1.20 per share, or $4.80 annually, for a yield of 2.1%. Analysts remain mostly positive, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $289.10.

Ethic Inc. raised its position in shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 7.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 82,262 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 5,427 shares during the period. Ethic Inc.'s holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $19,838,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Rather & Kittrell Inc. increased its stake in shares of Lowe's Companies by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Rather & Kittrell Inc. now owns 10,379 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $2,503,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Walkner Condon Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Lowe's Companies by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Walkner Condon Financial Advisors LLC now owns 945 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $228,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Berger Financial Group Inc increased its position in Lowe's Companies by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Berger Financial Group Inc now owns 1,165 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $281,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. Westfuller Advisors LLC increased its position in Lowe's Companies by 7.0% during the 4th quarter. Westfuller Advisors LLC now owns 629 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $152,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares during the period. Finally, DDD Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. DDD Partners LLC now owns 1,563 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $377,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company's stock.

Lowe's Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:LOW opened at $229.07 on Friday. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $242.52 and its 200-day simple moving average is $249.70. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $210.33 and a fifty-two week high of $293.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $128.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.33, a P/E/G ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.91.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.98 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $20.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.34 billion. Lowe's Companies had a net margin of 7.71% and a negative return on equity of 61.40%. Lowe's Companies's revenue was up 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.93 EPS. Lowe's Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.75 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 12.61 EPS for the current year.

Lowe's Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd were issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 22nd. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio is currently 40.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Lowe's Companies from $280.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies from $272.00 to $294.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Telsey Advisory Group upped their target price on Lowe's Companies from $285.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Bank of America initiated coverage on Lowe's Companies in a report on Tuesday. They set a "neutral" rating for the company. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $305.00 target price on shares of Lowe's Companies in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Twenty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe's Companies currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $289.10.

About Lowe's Companies

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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