GTS Securities LLC Sells 5,766 Shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

GTS Securities LLC trimmed its holdings in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 48.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,133 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after selling 5,766 shares during the quarter. GTS Securities LLC's holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $1,514,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Marshall Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Lowe's Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations bought a new position in Lowe's Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. Orion Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Lowe's Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. bought a new position in Lowe's Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $44,000. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe's Companies Stock Up 2.1%

NYSE:LOW traded up $4.61 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $225.68. 3,417,825 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,517,974. The firm has a market cap of $126.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.82, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.00. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $206.39 and a 52 week high of $287.01. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $224.52 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $244.06.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.88 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $20.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.09 billion. Lowe's Companies had a negative return on equity of 47.55% and a net margin of 8.19%. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.06 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current year.

Lowe's Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 23rd were paid a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.04%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 23rd. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio is 38.11%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on LOW. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Lowe's Companies from $300.00 to $255.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 5th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Lowe's Companies from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Lowe's Companies from $300.00 to $263.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on Lowe's Companies from $250.00 to $240.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Lowe's Companies from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $271.12.

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.