Flputnam Investment Management Co. Decreases Holdings in Lowe's Companies, Inc. $LOW

Key Points

• Flputnam Investment Management reduced its Lowe’s stake by 11.6% in the second quarter, selling 13,456 shares and retaining 102,061 shares valued at approximately $22.5 million.
• Institutional investors own 74.06% of Lowe’s shares, while company insiders sold 25,980 shares worth about $5.8 million over the past three months.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $258.53. Lowe’s recently exceeded quarterly EPS estimates, reporting $4.40 per share, although revenue slightly missed expectations.

Flputnam Investment Management Co. decreased its stake in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 11.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 102,061 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after selling 13,456 shares during the period. Flputnam Investment Management Co.'s holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $22,503,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,993,697,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its holdings 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 lifted its stake in 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 valued at $359,417,000 after purchasing an additional 1,471,539 shares during the last quarter. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. purchased a new position in Lowe's Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $308,683,000. Finally, Viking Global Investors LP bought a new position in Lowe's Companies during the fourth quarter valued at $219,948,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.83, for a total transaction of $559,575.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,220 shares in the company, valued at $4,525,842.60. The trade was a 11.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.81, for a total transaction of $2,097,477.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 16,142 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,628,883.02. The trade was a 36.63% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 25,980 shares of company stock worth $5,796,937 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.29% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LOW has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Bank of America decreased their target price on Lowe's Companies from $260.00 to $257.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Weiss Ratings cut Lowe's Companies from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Monday, August 17th. TD Cowen reiterated a "hold" rating and set a $235.00 price target on shares of Lowe's Companies in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Lowe's Companies from $255.00 to $245.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on Lowe's Companies from $300.00 to $293.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $258.53.

Lowe's Companies Trading Up 0.7%

LOW stock opened at $208.20 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $215.10 and a 200-day moving average of $230.79. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $199.40 and a 12 month high of $293.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $116.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.86.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 19th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.40 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.22 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $25.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $26.13 billion. Lowe's Companies had a net margin of 7.34% and a negative return on equity of 75.67%. Lowe's Companies's revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.33 EPS. Lowe's Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.250 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 12.26 EPS for the current year.

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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