Lowe's Companies, Inc. $LOW Stock: Willis Investment Counsel Cuts Holdings

Key Points

• Willis Investment Counsel cut its Lowe’s stake by 14.4% in the third quarter, selling 12,000 shares and retaining 71,218 shares valued at approximately $13.1 million. Institutional investors collectively own 74.06% of the company.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with Lowe’s holding a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $254.29, despite several firms recently lowering their targets.
• Lowe’s shares traded near $198.63, well below their 52-week high of $293.06. The company reported quarterly earnings of $4.40 per share, exceeding estimates, and declared a $1.25 quarterly dividend, equivalent to a 2.5% annual yield.

Willis Investment Counsel lessened its holdings in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 14.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 71,218 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after selling 12,000 shares during the period. Willis Investment Counsel's holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $13,125,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Net Worth Advisory Group lifted its stake in Lowe's Companies by 5.5% during the 3rd quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group now owns 7,717 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $1,407,000 after acquiring an additional 405 shares in the last quarter. Vision Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Lowe's Companies by 1.9% during the third quarter. Vision Capital Management Inc. now owns 10,076 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $1,857,000 after purchasing an additional 185 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 81,395 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $15,000,000 after acquiring an additional 841 shares during the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Lowe's Companies by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 12,154 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $2,240,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Worth Financial Advisory Group LLC lifted its position in Lowe's Companies by 8.3% in the third quarter. Worth Financial Advisory Group LLC now owns 1,091 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $201,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LOW has been the topic of a number of research reports. Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of Lowe's Companies from $280.00 to $250.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $275.00 price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Truist Financial dropped their target price on shares of Lowe's Companies from $255.00 to $254.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of Lowe's Companies in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their target price on shares of Lowe's Companies from $261.00 to $254.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $254.29.

Lowe's Companies Price Performance

Lowe's Companies stock traded up $2.71 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $198.63. 1,347,949 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,959,344. The company has a market cap of $111.44 billion, a PE ratio of 16.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 0.89. The company's fifty day moving average price is $198.99 and its 200-day moving average price is $214.42. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $178.45 and a fifty-two week high of $293.06.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 19th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.22 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $25.96 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $26.13 billion. Lowe's Companies had a net margin of 7.34% and a negative return on equity of 75.67%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.33 earnings per share. Lowe's Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.250 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 12.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe's Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 4th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 21st will be paid a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 21st. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Lowe's Companies's payout ratio is 42.27%.

About Lowe's Companies

Lowe's Companies, Inc is a home improvement retailer serving do-it-yourself customers, professional contractors and commercial customers across the United States. The company sells products for home construction, maintenance, repair, remodeling and improvement through its stores and digital platforms.

Its merchandise includes appliances, tools, hardware, lumber, building materials, electrical and plumbing supplies, paint, flooring, kitchen and bathroom products, outdoor living items, lawn and garden products, and seasonal merchandise.

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