Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. Buys 3,966 Shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 1.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 297,982 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 3,966 shares during the quarter. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. owned approximately 0.05% of Lowe's Companies worth $69,498,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in Lowe's Companies during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Marshall Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Lowe's Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations bought a new position in Lowe's Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, IFS Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 60.0% during the first quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 160 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on LOW shares. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on Lowe's Companies from $295.00 to $285.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $305.00 price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st. Wall Street Zen upgraded Lowe's Companies from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on Lowe's Companies from $250.00 to $240.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $271.12.

Lowe's Companies Stock Performance

Shares of LOW traded up $0.37 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $211.20. 1,136,197 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,525,488. 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 $118.36 billion, a PE ratio of 17.50, a PEG ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.92. The firm's 50 day moving average is $223.18 and its 200-day moving average is $238.45.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.92 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.09 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.06 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 23rd will be issued a $1.20 dividend. This is a boost from Lowe's Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 23rd. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.27%. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 38.11%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 1,130 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 now owns 31,898 shares in the company, valued at $7,256,795. This represents a 3.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.27% of the company's stock.

About Lowe's Companies

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.