SEB Asset Management AB Invests $27.31 Million in Lowe's Companies, Inc. $LOW

Key Points

• SEB Asset Management AB opened a new position in Lowe's during the first quarter, buying 115,574 shares worth about $27.3 million.
• Insider selling continued, with EVP Juliette Williams Pryor and EVP Margrethe R. Vagell both selling shares in June; insiders have sold 25,980 shares over the past 90 days.
• Lowe's reported better-than-expected quarterly results and raised its dividend to $1.25 per share from $1.20, while analysts currently maintain a Moderate Buy consensus rating.

SEB Asset Management AB bought a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 115,574 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock, valued at approximately $27,308,000.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe's Companies in the fourth quarter worth $1,993,697,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its holdings in Lowe's Companies by 45.2% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 6,555,565 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $1,580,941,000 after purchasing an additional 2,039,343 shares during the last quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP boosted its holdings in Lowe's Companies by 7,814.9% in the fourth quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 1,490,369 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $359,417,000 after purchasing an additional 1,471,539 shares during the last quarter. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. acquired a new stake in Lowe's Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $308,683,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Lowe's Companies by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 56,230,787 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $13,560,617,000 after purchasing an additional 924,625 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 16,142 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,628,883.02. This represents a 36.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.83, for a total value of $559,575.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,220 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,525,842.60. The trade was a 11.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 25,980 shares of company stock worth $5,796,937. 0.29% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on LOW shares. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on Lowe's Companies from $280.00 to $235.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Citigroup raised Lowe's Companies from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $285.00 target price on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Lowe's Companies from $325.00 to $279.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on Lowe's Companies from $305.00 to $278.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, BTIG Research lowered Lowe's Companies to a "reduce" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $264.57.

Lowe's Companies Stock Performance

Shares of Lowe's Companies stock opened at $208.57 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $217.04 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $241.56. The company has a market cap of $116.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.86. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $203.40 and a fifty-two week high of $293.06.

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

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be given a dividend of $1.25 per share. This is an increase from Lowe's Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 22nd. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 40.57%.

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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