Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Buys 8,358 Shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. $LOW

Key Points

• Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its Lowe’s stake by 3.7% in the first quarter, buying 8,358 more shares and bringing its total holding to 235,429 shares worth about $55.6 million.
• Lowe’s reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $3.03 versus the $2.97 estimate and revenue of $23.08 billion, up 10.3% year over year. The company also raised its FY2026 EPS guidance to $12.25-$12.75.
• The company boosted its quarterly dividend to $1.25 per share from $1.20, while analysts currently maintain a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average price target of $264.57.

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its stake in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 3.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 235,429 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 8,358 shares during the quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio's holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $55,627,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe's Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora lifted its position 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 worth $29,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Sankala Group LLC bought a new position in Lowe's Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in Lowe's Companies during the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company's stock.

Lowe's Companies Price Performance

NYSE:LOW opened at $201.87 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $113.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.06, a PEG ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.86. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $215.44 and a 200-day simple moving average of $240.45. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $199.40 and a 1 year high of $293.06.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.06. Lowe's Companies had a negative return on equity of 67.96% and a net margin of 7.51%.The firm had revenue of $23.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.98 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.92 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Lowe's Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be paid a $1.25 dividend. This is an increase from Lowe's Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. Lowe's Companies's payout ratio is currently 42.27%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.83, for a total value of $559,575.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 20,220 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,525,842.60. This trade represents a 11.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of Lowe's Companies stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.81, for a total transaction of $2,097,477.30. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 16,142 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,628,883.02. This represents a 36.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 25,980 shares of company stock valued at $5,796,937. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have issued reports on LOW shares. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on Lowe's Companies from $264.00 to $232.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Mizuho lowered their target price on Lowe's Companies from $294.00 to $280.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Lowe's Companies from $325.00 to $279.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. TD Cowen reduced their price target on shares of Lowe's Companies from $280.00 to $235.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, William Blair started coverage on shares of Lowe's Companies in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. They set an "overweight" rating on the stock. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Lowe's Companies presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $264.57.

About Lowe's Companies

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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