Merit Financial Group LLC Raises Stock Holdings in Lowe's Companies, Inc. $LOW

Key Points

• Merit Financial Group LLC increased its stake in Lowe's (NYSE:LOW) by 13.2% in Q4, buying 4,688 shares to hold 40,096 shares valued at about $9.67 million.
• Several large institutions (e.g., Wellington, Victory, WorldQuant) also materially raised positions, and hedge funds/institutions now own 74.06% of Lowe's stock, indicating heavy institutional accumulation.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive with an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $289.24; the stock trades near $252 and yields about 1.9%.

Merit Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 13.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 40,096 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after buying an additional 4,688 shares during the quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC's holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $9,670,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of LOW. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 102.0% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,204,311 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $1,056,585,000 after buying an additional 2,122,622 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 207.2% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,058,086 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $517,218,000 after buying an additional 1,388,133 shares during the period. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 243.2% in the second quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 1,116,945 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $247,817,000 after buying an additional 791,526 shares during the period. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. raised its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 101.4% in the third quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 1,244,941 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $312,866,000 after buying an additional 626,829 shares during the period. Finally, Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 45.5% in the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 1,899,114 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $477,266,000 after buying an additional 593,779 shares during the period. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on LOW shares. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Lowe's Companies from $283.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Lowe's Companies from $280.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price target on Lowe's Companies from $313.00 to $303.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 26th. KGI Securities initiated coverage on Lowe's Companies in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $255.00 price target on the stock. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price objective on Lowe's Companies from $316.00 to $315.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $289.24.

Lowe's Companies Stock Up 3.8%

LOW opened at $251.62 on Friday. The stock's fifty day moving average is $252.45 and its two-hundred day moving average is $249.69. The company has a market capitalization of $140.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.23, a PEG ratio of 5.27 and a beta of 0.97. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $210.33 and a 52 week high of $293.06.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.98 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $20.59 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.34 billion. Lowe's Companies had a negative return on equity of 61.40% and a net margin of 7.71%.Lowe's Companies's quarterly revenue was up 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.93 EPS. Lowe's Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.75 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe's Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd will be issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 22nd. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.51%.

Lowe's Companies Profile

Lowe's Companies, Inc is a leading home improvement retailer that operates large-format stores and digital channels serving both do-it-yourself homeowners and professional contractors. The company offers a broad assortment of products including building materials, lumber, appliances, tools and hardware, plumbing and electrical supplies, paint, flooring, kitchen and bath fixtures, outdoor and garden products, and home decor. Lowe's also provides a range of services such as installation, home improvement financing, tool and equipment rental, and contractor-focused sales programs.

Operations are centered on a nationwide brick-and-mortar store network supported by distribution centers and an e-commerce platform that enables online ordering, delivery and in-store pickup.

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