Focused Investors LLC Sells 9,800 Shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Focused Investors LLC reduced its position in shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 2.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 446,200 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after selling 9,800 shares during the quarter. Lowe's Companies comprises 3.3% of Focused Investors LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest holding. Focused Investors LLC owned about 0.08% of Lowe's Companies worth $104,067,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Gen Wealth Partners Inc grew its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Gen Wealth Partners Inc now owns 2,163 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $534,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Peachtree Investment Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Peachtree Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,286 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $317,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Second Line Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Second Line Capital LLC now owns 4,793 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $1,183,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Dumont & Blake Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 1.1% during the first quarter. Dumont & Blake Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,570 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $1,066,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zullo Investment Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Lowe's Companies by 1.1% during the first quarter. Zullo Investment Group Inc. now owns 4,542 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $1,059,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Lowe's Companies Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of Lowe's Companies stock traded up $0.55 during trading on Thursday, reaching $217.15. The company's stock had a trading volume of 739,900 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,496,614. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $206.39 and a 52-week high of $287.01. The company has a market cap of $121.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.00, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.90. The firm's 50-day moving average is $223.79 and its two-hundred day moving average is $233.60.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.92 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.88 by $0.04. Lowe's Companies had a net margin of 8.22% and a negative return on equity of 49.12%. The business had revenue of $20.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.09 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.06 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current year.

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 23rd will be issued a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 23rd. This is a positive change from Lowe's Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.21%. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio is 38.11%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on LOW shares. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Lowe's Companies from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on shares of Lowe's Companies from $250.00 to $240.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 27th. Mizuho reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $280.00 price target on shares of Lowe's Companies in a research report on Friday, June 13th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Lowe's Companies from $300.00 to $255.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Finally, DA Davidson dropped their price target on shares of Lowe's Companies from $270.00 to $240.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $271.12.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 1,130 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.50, for a total value of $257,075.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 31,898 shares in the company, valued at $7,256,795. This trade represents a 3.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.27% of the company's stock.

Lowe's Companies Company Profile

Lowe's Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a home improvement retailer in the United States. The company offers a line of products for construction, maintenance, repair, remodeling, and decorating. It also provides home improvement products, such as appliances, seasonal and outdoor living, lawn and garden, lumber, kitchens and bath, tools, paint, millwork, hardware, flooring, rough plumbing, building materials, décor, and electrical.