Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. Sells 2,291 Shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. lessened its stake in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 1.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 172,871 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after selling 2,291 shares during the period. Lowe's Companies comprises about 2.6% of Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest position. Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc.'s holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $40,319,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe's Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Marshall Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe's Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations bought a new stake in shares of Lowe's Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Orion Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe's Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Inlight Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe's Companies in the 1st quarter valued at about $36,000. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on LOW. Wall Street Zen upgraded Lowe's Companies from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Lowe's Companies from $300.00 to $263.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Bank of America cut their target price on Lowe's Companies from $305.00 to $290.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on 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. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their target price on Lowe's Companies from $295.00 to $285.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe's Companies presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $271.12.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 1,130 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.50, for a total value of $257,075.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 31,898 shares in the company, valued at $7,256,795. This trade represents a 3.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.27% of the company's stock.

Lowe's Companies Stock Up 2.8%

NYSE:LOW traded up $5.89 on Monday, hitting $218.64. The stock had a trading volume of 2,635,486 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,541,963. 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 moving average is $223.03 and its 200 day moving average is $237.56. The company has a market cap of $122.53 billion, a PE ratio of 18.11, a P/E/G ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.92.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.92 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.88 by $0.04. Lowe's Companies had a negative return on equity of 49.12% and a net margin of 8.22%. The company had revenue of $20.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.09 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.06 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 23rd will be issued a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.20%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 23rd. This is a positive change from Lowe's Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 38.11%.

Lowe's Companies 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.