Lowe's Companies, Inc. $LOW Shares Acquired by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group increased its stake in Lowe's by 2.3% to 622,360 shares (about $150.1M), and institutional/hedge funds now own roughly 74.06% of the company.
• Beat Q4 estimates: Lowe's reported EPS of $1.98 vs. $1.94 expected and revenue of $20.59B vs. $20.34B, issued FY‑2026 EPS guidance of 12.25–12.75, and paid a quarterly dividend of $1.20 (annualized $4.80, 2.1% yield).
• Analyst views are mixed: MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with a $289.10 target, but Bank of America removed Lowe's from its buy list and set a Neutral rating, creating near‑term headwinds despite recent share strength.

Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 2.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 622,360 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 13,987 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.11% of Lowe's Companies worth $150,088,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in shares of Lowe's Companies by 119.7% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 31,965 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $7,889,000 after buying an additional 17,413 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in Lowe's Companies by 31.6% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,078 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $266,000 after acquiring an additional 259 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in Lowe's Companies by 22.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,534 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $340,000 after acquiring an additional 280 shares during the period. United Bank increased its holdings in Lowe's Companies by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 12,124 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $2,690,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. increased its holdings in Lowe's Companies by 13.1% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 2,378 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $528,000 after acquiring an additional 275 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company's stock.

More Lowe's Companies News

Here are the key news stories impacting Lowe's Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: The new MyLowe's Pro Rewards American Express card broadens payment options for professional customers — usable anywhere AmEx is accepted — which can deepen ties with higher-spending contractors and boost recurring pro sales. Is Lowe's (LOW) New Pro Amex Card the Missing Link in Its Contractor Strategy?
• Positive Sentiment: Recent fundamentals remain supportive: Lowe's reported a quarter that modestly beat revenue and EPS expectations and gave FY‑2026 EPS guidance (12.25–12.75) — a tailwind for investors focused on earnings durability.
• Neutral Sentiment: An Owens Corning Q1 earnings-call summary is circulating; as a major building-material supplier to retailers, its results offer signals on product demand and pricing but are an indirect driver for Lowe's near term. Owens Corning Q1 2026 Earnings Call Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: General feature pieces (e.g., "facts you didn't know about Lowe's") are in the newsflow but carry little immediate impact on the share price. 4 Facts You Didn't Know About Lowe's
• Negative Sentiment: Bank of America removed Lowe's from its buy-list and set a Neutral rating, signaling a more cautious outlook from a major institutional investor and removing a near-term buy-side catalyst. Lowe's Just Got Yanked From the BofA Buy List
• Negative Sentiment: Shares have been pressured recently after sessions where oil-price-driven spikes raised concerns that higher fuel costs could siphon discretionary spending from retailers, contributing to intra-week sell-offs. Best Buy, CarMax, and Lowe's Shares Plummet, What You Need To Know
• Negative Sentiment: Local privacy reporting that license-plate–scanning cameras are operating at some Connecticut Lowe's and Home Depot locations raises reputational and potential regulatory risk — a negative headline that can attract short-term investor scrutiny. Cameras are scanning license plates at some Lowe's and Home Depot stores in Connecticut

Lowe's Companies Trading Up 3.5%

Shares of NYSE LOW opened at $233.12 on Thursday. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $210.33 and a 12-month high of $293.06. The stock has a market cap of $130.56 billion, a PE ratio of 19.67, a P/E/G ratio of 4.89 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a 50-day moving average of $243.47 and a 200 day moving average of $249.80.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.98 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.94 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $20.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.34 billion. Lowe's Companies had a net margin of 7.71% and a negative return on equity of 61.40%. The business's revenue was up 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.93 EPS. Lowe's Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.75 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 12.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe's Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd were issued a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 22nd. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio is presently 40.51%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LOW has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies from $272.00 to $294.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Lowe's Companies from $316.00 to $315.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of Lowe's Companies from $290.00 to $320.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Barclays upgraded Lowe's Companies from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $285.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Evercore decreased their target price on Lowe's Companies from $250.00 to $245.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $289.10.

Lowe's Companies Company 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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