Lowe's Companies, Inc. $LOW Shares Bought by Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc.

Key Points

• Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. has increased its stake in Lowe's Companies by 1.4%, now owning 130,540 shares valued at approximately $28.96 million.
• Lowe's reported earnings per share of $4.33 for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations, while revenues reached $23.96 billion, up 1.6% year-over-year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.012 per share, representing an annualized yield of 0.0%.

Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. grew its stake in shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 1.4% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 130,540 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 1,745 shares during the quarter. Lowe's Companies makes up about 0.8% of Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest position. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc.'s holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $28,963,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Vertex Planning Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Vertex Planning Partners LLC now owns 1,582 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $369,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the period. Quadcap Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Lowe's Companies by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Quadcap Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,386 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $2,189,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Mitchell Mcleod Pugh & Williams Inc. grew its position in Lowe's Companies by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. Mitchell Mcleod Pugh & Williams Inc. now owns 5,817 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $1,357,000 after buying an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. Fielder Capital Group LLC grew its position in Lowe's Companies by 5.9% in the 1st quarter. Fielder Capital Group LLC now owns 865 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $202,000 after buying an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dumont & Blake Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in Lowe's Companies by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Dumont & Blake Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,570 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $1,066,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe's Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:LOW opened at $265.68 on Monday. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $206.38 and a 1 year high of $287.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $149.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.83, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.87. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $247.63 and a 200-day simple moving average of $232.50.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $23.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $23.99 billion. Lowe's Companies had a negative return on equity of 52.02% and a net margin of 8.20%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $4.10 EPS. Lowe's Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 12.200-12.450 EPS. Analysts predict that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe's Companies Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 22nd will be issued a $0.012 dividend. This represents a $0.05 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.0%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 22nd. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio is currently 39.44%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on LOW. Gordon Haskett upgraded shares of Lowe's Companies to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 13th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Lowe's Companies from $260.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 21st. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of Lowe's Companies from $269.00 to $294.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 21st. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Lowe's Companies from $264.00 to $283.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 21st. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Lowe's Companies from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 21st. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $285.08.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Joseph Michael Mcfarland sold 43,810 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $272.60, for a total transaction of $11,942,606.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 66,566 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,145,891.60. This represents a 39.69% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 929 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $257.20, for a total value of $238,938.80. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 30,099 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,741,462.80. This trade represents a 2.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 92,931 shares of company stock worth $24,945,752 in the last 90 days. 0.27% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.

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