Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Shares Sold by Optas LLC

Optas LLC decreased its position in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 52.7% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,565 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after selling 1,746 shares during the quarter. Optas LLC's holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $365,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Gen Wealth Partners Inc grew its position in Lowe's Companies by 1.9% in the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Cordatus Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lowe's Companies by 0.3% during the 4th 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% in the 4th quarter. O Brien Greene & Co. Inc now owns 2,896 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $715,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. FFT Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Lowe's Companies by 3.1% in the fourth quarter. FFT Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,377 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $340,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Command Advisory Services Inc. raised its holdings in Lowe's Companies by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 3,166 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $781,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on LOW. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on Lowe's Companies from $295.00 to $285.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Lowe's Companies from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Lowe's Companies from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered 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 note on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, DA Davidson cut 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 note on Thursday, May 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Lowe's Companies presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $271.12.

Lowe's Companies Trading Down 2.9%

Shares of Lowe's Companies stock opened at $216.99 on Monday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $223.77 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $239.65. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $206.39 and a 1-year high of $287.01. The company has a market cap of $121.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.10, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.92.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.92 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.88 by $0.04. Lowe's Companies had a negative return on equity of 47.55% and a net margin of 8.19%. The business had revenue of $20.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $21.09 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.06 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 23rd will be issued a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.21%. This is a boost from Lowe's Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 23rd. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.77%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lowe's Companies

In other news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 1,130 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.50, for a total transaction of $257,075.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 31,898 shares in the company, valued at $7,256,795. The trade was a 3.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.27% of the company's stock.

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.

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