Allied Investment Advisors LLC Acquires 2,597 Shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Allied Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 4.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 55,228 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after buying an additional 2,597 shares during the period. Lowe's Companies accounts for approximately 2.4% of Allied Investment Advisors LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th biggest holding. Allied Investment Advisors LLC's holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $12,881,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Klingenstein Fields & Co. LP increased its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Klingenstein Fields & Co. LP now owns 4,101 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $1,012,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Gen Wealth Partners Inc grew its position in Lowe's Companies by 1.9% in 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. Cordatus Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Lowe's Companies by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Cordatus Wealth Management LLC now owns 15,012 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $3,705,000 after buying an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. O Brien Greene & Co. Inc grew its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. O Brien Greene & Co. Inc now owns 2,896 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $715,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FFT Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Lowe's Companies by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. FFT Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,377 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $340,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Lowe's Companies Stock Performance

Lowe's Companies stock traded up $3.29 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $228.81. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,455,662 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,518,375. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $224.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $242.45. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $206.39 and a 12-month high of $287.01. The company has a market capitalization of $128.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.08, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.00.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.88 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $20.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.09 billion. Lowe's Companies had a negative return on equity of 47.55% and a net margin of 8.19%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $3.06 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 23rd will be given a $1.20 dividend. This is a positive change from Lowe's Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.10%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 23rd. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.77%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on LOW shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Lowe's Companies from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Lowe's Companies from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Mizuho set a $280.00 price target on Lowe's Companies and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Bank of America lowered their price target on Lowe's Companies from $305.00 to $290.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, DA Davidson cut their price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies from $270.00 to $240.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $271.12.

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.