Lowe's Companies, Inc. $LOW Shares Acquired by Swiss National Bank

Key Points

• Swiss National Bank boosted its stake in Lowe’s by 7.1% in the first quarter, buying 109,520 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 1,646,320 shares worth about $389 million.
• Lowe’s reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $3.03 versus the $2.97 consensus and revenue of $23.08 billion, up 10.3% from a year earlier.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.25 per share from $1.20, while analysts currently view the stock as a Moderate Buy with an average price target of $264.57.

Swiss National Bank increased its position in shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 7.1% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,646,320 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after buying an additional 109,520 shares during the quarter. Swiss National Bank owned about 0.29% of Lowe's Companies worth $388,992,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new stake in Lowe's Companies in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora grew its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 42 shares during the period. Sankala Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe's Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe's Companies during the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $275.00 target price on shares of Lowe's Companies in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Lowe's Companies from $325.00 to $279.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. HSBC reduced their price target on shares of Lowe's Companies from $260.00 to $220.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies from $294.00 to $280.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies from $260.00 to $257.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $264.57.

Lowe's Companies Trading Down 3.5%

LOW opened at $208.57 on Friday. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $217.04 and its 200 day moving average price is $241.57. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $203.40 and a 12-month high of $293.06. The firm has a market cap of $116.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.63, a PEG ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.86.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last released its 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 company had revenue of $23.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.92 EPS. Lowe's Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast 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 disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be issued a $1.25 dividend. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. This is an increase from Lowe's Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 22nd. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.57%.

Insider Activity at Lowe's Companies

In related news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.81, for a total transaction of $2,097,477.30. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 16,142 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,628,883.02. This represents a 36.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 20,220 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,525,842.60. This trade represents a 11.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 25,980 shares of company stock worth $5,796,937. Corporate insiders own 0.29% of the company's stock.

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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