Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV Decreases Stock Position in Lowe's Companies, Inc. $LOW

Key Points

• Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV reduced its holdings in Lowe's Companies by 21.7% during the first quarter, selling 4,310 shares and leaving it with 15,520 shares valued at approximately $3.62 million.
• Lowe's Companies reported earnings of $2.92 per share for the recent quarter, surpassing analyst estimates but showing a decline in revenue by 2.0% compared to the previous year.
• The company announced an increase in its quarterly dividend from $1.15 to $1.20, reflecting an annualized yield of 1.9% and a dividend payout ratio of 39.77%.

Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV lowered its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 21.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 15,520 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after selling 4,310 shares during the period. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV's holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $3,620,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Lowe's Companies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Fairway Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Lowe's Companies in the first quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Lowe's Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Inlight Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Lowe's Companies in the first quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, IFS Advisors LLC grew its stake in Lowe's Companies by 60.0% in the first quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 160 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company's stock.

Lowe's Companies Trading Up 2.1%

Shares of LOW traded up $5.3180 on Tuesday, reaching $256.2080. 4,643,751 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,703,579. The stock has a market cap of $143.59 billion, a PE ratio of 21.23, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 0.89. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $227.16 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $229.98. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $206.38 and a 52-week high of $287.01.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.92 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.88 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $20.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.09 billion. Lowe's Companies had a negative return on equity of 49.12% and a net margin of 8.22%.Lowe's Companies's revenue was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.06 earnings per share. Lowe's Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 12.150-12.400 EPS. Analysts forecast that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 23rd were given a $1.20 dividend. This is an increase from Lowe's Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 23rd. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.77%.

Insider Transactions at Lowe's Companies

In other Lowe's Companies news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 1,130 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 31,898 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,256,795. This trade represents a 3.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.27% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LOW has been the subject of a number of research reports. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on Lowe's Companies from $295.00 to $285.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Lowe's Companies from $240.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday. Gordon Haskett upgraded Lowe's Companies to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 13th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $266.00 target price on Lowe's Companies and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Lowe's Companies from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $271.68.

Lowe's Companies 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.