North Dakota State Investment Board Takes $4.74 Million Position in Lowe's Companies, Inc. $LOW

Key Points

• North Dakota State Investment Board disclosed a new fourth-quarter stake in Lowe’s, buying 19,672 shares worth about $4.74 million.
• Institutional ownership remains high, with 74.06% of Lowe’s stock held by institutions and hedge funds. Several smaller investors also added positions in the company during recent quarters.
• Analysts are still generally constructive on Lowe’s despite some mixed moves: the stock holds a Moderate Buy consensus, though BTIG recently downgraded it to “reduce” while others maintained or raised positive ratings and target prices.

North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new stake in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 19,672 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock, valued at approximately $4,744,000.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Activest Wealth Management grew its stake in shares of Lowe's Companies by 78.5% in the third quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 116 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. United Financial Planning Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe's Companies in the third quarter valued at $31,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora grew its stake in shares of Lowe's Companies by 52.5% in the fourth quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe's Companies in the third quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Guerra Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe's Companies in the third quarter valued at $35,000. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on LOW. BTIG Research cut Lowe's Companies to a "reduce" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Mizuho boosted their target price on Lowe's Companies from $272.00 to $294.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Argus boosted their target price on Lowe's Companies from $286.00 to $288.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Lowe's Companies in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. They set a "buy" rating for the company. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on Lowe's Companies from $316.00 to $315.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $286.17.

Lowe's Companies Price Performance

LOW opened at $218.54 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $122.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.44, a PEG ratio of 4.18 and a beta of 0.91. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $238.04 and a 200 day moving average price of $248.86. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $210.33 and a 12 month high of $293.06.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.94 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $20.59 billion during 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 revenue for the quarter was up 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.93 EPS. Lowe's Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.75 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 12.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe's Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 22nd were issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 22nd. Lowe's Companies's payout ratio is 40.51%.

More Lowe's Companies News

Here are the key news stories impacting Lowe's Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary remains constructive overall, with Truist and Sanford C. Bernstein both maintaining bullish ratings on Lowe’s while trimming price targets, suggesting Wall Street still sees upside from current levels. Read More
• Positive Sentiment: Investors are looking ahead to Lowe’s Q1 earnings, where Wall Street expects detailed metrics and guidance to help confirm whether recent weakness is temporary or reflects a softer home-improvement demand backdrop. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Lowe’s launched a new “Epically More Messi” marketing campaign tied to loyalty members and the upcoming soccer event, which could support engagement and brand visibility but is not likely a major near-term earnings driver. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent articles highlight Lowe’s long-term stock performance and label it a depressed or growth-worthy stock, reinforcing valuation appeal more than changing the near-term operating outlook. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The stock has been weighed by recent price-target cuts from multiple firms, including Sanford C. Bernstein and Truist, which signal some caution around the pace of recovery even though ratings remain positive. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Broader retail and housing-related concerns remain a headwind, with coverage noting pressure from a softer housing market and shopper sensitivity to retail-theft-related measures in stores. Article Title

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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