Atria Investments Inc Trims Position in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Atria Investments Inc cut its holdings in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 9.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 51,929 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after selling 5,285 shares during the period. Atria Investments Inc's holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $12,112,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Fairway Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies in the first quarter valued at about $32,000. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations purchased a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Orion Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies during the fourth quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, Inlight Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe's Companies during the first quarter worth about $36,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 1,130 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.50, for a total value of $257,075.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 31,898 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,256,795. This represents a 3.42% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.27% of the company's stock.

Lowe's Companies Stock Up 0.6%

Lowe's Companies stock traded up $1.27 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $226.83. 2,053,515 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,516,350. The stock has a market cap of $127.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.79, a PEG ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.90. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $206.38 and a 12 month high of $287.01. The stock's fifty day moving average is $223.04 and its 200-day moving average is $232.46.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.92 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.88 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $20.93 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $21.09 billion. Lowe's Companies had a negative return on equity of 49.12% and a net margin of 8.22%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.06 earnings per share. On average, equities 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 announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 23rd will be paid a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 23rd. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.12%. This is an increase from Lowe's Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio is currently 39.77%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LOW has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. KeyCorp raised Lowe's Companies from a "sector weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $266.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies from $244.00 to $242.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. DA Davidson dropped their target price on shares of Lowe's Companies from $270.00 to $240.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Lowe's Companies from $300.00 to $255.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $266.00 price target on shares of Lowe's Companies and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lowe's Companies currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $271.12.

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.