KBC Group NV Has $41.04 Million Holdings in Lowe's Companies, Inc. $LOW

Key Points

• KBC Group NV cut its Lowe’s stake by 45.5% in the first quarter, selling 145,004 shares and leaving it with 173,698 shares valued at about $41.04 million.
• Lowe’s recent earnings beat expectations, reporting $3.03 EPS on $23.08 billion in revenue, both slightly above analyst estimates, with revenue up 10.3% year over year.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.25 per share from $1.20, implying a $5.00 annualized payout and a 2.4% yield.

KBC Group NV lessened its holdings in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 45.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 173,698 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after selling 145,004 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV's holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $41,042,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in LOW. Swiss RE Ltd. bought a new position in Lowe's Companies in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC bought a new stake in Lowe's Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora lifted its position in Lowe's Companies by 52.5% during the 4th quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Sankala Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies during the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company's stock.

Lowe's Companies Price Performance

Shares of LOW opened at $204.76 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $216.62 and a 200-day moving average of $241.29. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $203.40 and a one year high of $293.06. The company has a market cap of $114.81 billion, a PE ratio of 17.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.86.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $23.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.98 billion. Lowe's Companies had a net margin of 7.51% and a negative return on equity of 67.96%. Lowe's Companies's revenue for the quarter was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.92 EPS. Lowe's Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. Analysts expect that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be given a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. This is a boost from Lowe's Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.57%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lowe's Companies

In other Lowe's Companies news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.81, for a total value of $2,097,477.30. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 16,142 shares in the company, valued at $3,628,883.02. This represents a 36.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.90, for a total value of $3,139,885.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 39,785 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,828,291.50. The trade was a 26.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 25,980 shares of company stock worth $5,796,937 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.29% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on Lowe's Companies from $280.00 to $235.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Benchmark began coverage on Lowe's Companies in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. They set a "hold" rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on Lowe's Companies from $300.00 to $293.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on Lowe's Companies from $320.00 to $270.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on Lowe's Companies from $270.00 to $220.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe's Companies has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $264.57.

Lowe's Companies 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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