MQS Management LLC Buys Shares of 3,440 Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

MQS Management LLC acquired a new stake in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 3,440 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock, valued at approximately $802,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations acquired a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Fairway Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Inlight Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe's Companies Price Performance

Shares of LOW stock traded down $3.79 on Friday, hitting $224.12. 1,840,145 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,493,668. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $206.39 and a 12 month high of $287.01. The stock has a market cap of $125.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a 50 day moving average of $224.14 and a 200 day moving average of $234.13.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last announced 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. 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 the consensus estimate of $21.09 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $3.06 EPS. Lowe's Companies's revenue for the quarter was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 23rd will be given a dividend of $1.20 per share. This is an increase from Lowe's Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.14%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 23rd. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio is currently 38.11%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LOW has been the topic of several research reports. Citigroup restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $253.00 target price (down previously from $269.00) on shares of Lowe's Companies in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Lowe's Companies from $300.00 to $263.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on 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. Telsey Advisory Group restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $305.00 target price on shares of Lowe's Companies in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on Lowe's Companies from $250.00 to $240.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe's Companies has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $271.12.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lowe's Companies

In other Lowe's Companies news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 1,130 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 31,898 shares in the company, 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. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.