Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund Raises Stock Holdings in Lowe's Companies, Inc. $LOW

Key Points

• Fjarde AP Fonden increased its Lowe’s stake by 60.3% in the first quarter, adding 55,420 shares to bring its total holdings to 147,375 shares worth about $34.8 million.
• Lowe’s reported quarterly earnings of $3.03 per share, beating expectations, while revenue rose 10.3% year over year to $23.08 billion.
• The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $1.25 per share from $1.20, and analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $264.57.

Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund increased its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 60.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 147,375 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 55,420 shares during the quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund's holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $34,822,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe's Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 52.5% in the 4th quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. United Financial Planning Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Sankala Group LLC bought a new position in Lowe's Companies during the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company's stock.

Lowe's Companies Stock Performance

Shares of Lowe's Companies stock opened at $227.26 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $127.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.21, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.86. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $203.40 and a 52-week high of $293.06. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $222.05 and its 200 day simple moving average is $243.89.

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

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be issued a $1.25 dividend. This is a boost from Lowe's Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Lowe's Companies's payout ratio is 40.57%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Lowe's Companies news, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 39,785 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,828,291.50. The trade was a 26.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.83, for a total value of $559,575.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 20,220 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,525,842.60. This represents a 11.00% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 25,980 shares of company stock valued at $5,796,937. Company insiders own 0.29% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LOW has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. DA Davidson restated a "neutral" rating and set a $275.00 price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Evercore dropped their target price on shares of Lowe's Companies from $250.00 to $230.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Citigroup raised shares of Lowe's Companies from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $285.00 target price for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on shares of Lowe's Companies from $300.00 to $276.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Raymond James Financial cut shares of Lowe's Companies from a "market perform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $264.57.

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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