Kestra Advisory Services LLC Increases Stake in Lowe's Companies, Inc. $LOW

Key Points

• Kestra Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in Lowe’s by 7.4% in the first quarter, ending with 101,764 shares valued at about $24.0 million.
• Lowe’s shares were down 0.6% to $211.69, near the low end of their 52-week range, despite trading at a market cap of about $118.7 billion.
• The company recently topped quarterly expectations, reporting $3.03 EPS on $23.08 billion in revenue, and it raised its quarterly dividend to $1.25 per share from $1.20.

Kestra Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 7.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 101,764 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 7,054 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $24,045,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in LOW. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 56,230,787 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $13,560,617,000 after purchasing an additional 924,625 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Lowe's Companies by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 25,036,276 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $6,291,867,000 after acquiring an additional 124,501 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 7.1% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 13,326,581 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $3,201,329,000 after acquiring an additional 887,579 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe's Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $1,993,697,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in shares of Lowe's Companies by 1.5% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 6,830,080 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $1,716,467,000 after acquiring an additional 103,827 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Lowe's Companies

In other news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.81, for a total transaction of $2,097,477.30. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 16,142 shares in the company, valued at $3,628,883.02. This trade represents a 36.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.83, for a total transaction of $559,575.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 20,220 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,525,842.60. The trade was a 11.00% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 25,980 shares of company stock valued at $5,796,937 in the last three months. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Lowe's Companies Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of LOW stock traded down $1.31 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $211.69. 2,164,000 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,675,786. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $203.40 and a 52-week high of $293.06. The company has a market cap of $118.70 billion, a PE ratio of 17.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.86. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $219.20 and a 200 day moving average of $242.73.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $23.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.98 billion. Lowe's Companies had a negative return on equity of 67.96% and a net margin of 7.51%.Lowe's Companies's revenue for the quarter was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter 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. Equities analysts predict that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 EPS for the current year.

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be paid a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. This is a positive change from Lowe's Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio is currently 40.57%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LOW has been the topic of several recent research reports. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Lowe's Companies from $292.00 to $277.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their target price on Lowe's Companies from $228.00 to $202.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Raymond James Financial lowered Lowe's Companies from a "market perform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on Lowe's Companies from $320.00 to $270.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Mizuho decreased their price target on Lowe's Companies from $294.00 to $280.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $264.57.

About Lowe's Companies

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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