Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. Grows Stock Holdings in Lowe's Companies, Inc. $LOW

Key Points

• Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. increased its stake in Lowe's Companies by 95.2%, acquiring a total of 31,973 shares valued at $7.45 million, reflecting strong investor confidence.
• Several institutional investors have significantly increased their holdings, with Brighton Jones LLC raising its position by 119.7% during the fourth quarter.
• Lowe's recently reported earnings of $2.92 per share, slightly above analysts' expectations, despite a 2.0% year-over-year decline in revenue.

Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. raised its position in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 95.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 31,973 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 15,595 shares during the quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc.'s holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $7,457,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Gen Wealth Partners Inc raised its stake in Lowe's Companies by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Gen Wealth Partners Inc now owns 2,163 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $534,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. Second Line Capital LLC grew its holdings in Lowe's Companies by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Second Line Capital LLC now owns 4,793 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $1,183,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Mitchell Mcleod Pugh & Williams Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of 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 worth $1,357,000 after purchasing an additional 47 shares during the period. Fielder Capital Group LLC increased its position in shares of Lowe's Companies by 5.9% during the 1st quarter. Fielder Capital Group LLC now owns 865 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $202,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dumont & Blake Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Lowe's Companies by 1.1% in the first quarter. Dumont & Blake Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,570 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $1,066,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have issued reports on LOW. DA Davidson decreased their price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies from $270.00 to $240.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. Gordon Haskett upgraded Lowe's Companies to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 13th. Mizuho restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $280.00 price target on shares of Lowe's Companies in a report on Friday, June 13th. Guggenheim restated a "buy" rating and issued a $300.00 price target on shares of Lowe's Companies in a report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Finally, Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Lowe's Companies from $253.00 to $242.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 31st. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lowe's Companies has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $271.68.

Insider Activity at Lowe's Companies

In related news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 1,130 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.50, for a total value of $257,075.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 31,898 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,256,795. This trade represents a 3.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.27% of the company's stock.

Lowe's Companies Price Performance

Lowe's Companies stock traded up $5.5670 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $256.4570. 3,105,886 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,693,307. The stock has a market capitalization of $143.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.24, a P/E/G ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.89. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $227.16 and its 200-day moving average price is $229.98. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $206.38 and a 1 year high of $287.01.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.92 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.88 by $0.04. Lowe's Companies had a negative return on equity of 49.12% and a net margin of 8.22%.The business had revenue of $20.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $21.09 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.06 earnings per share. The business's revenue was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Lowe's Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 12.150-12.400 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 23rd were issued a $1.20 dividend. This is a boost from Lowe's Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 23rd. Lowe's Companies's payout ratio is 39.77%.

Lowe's Companies Company Profile

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.