Triglav Skladi D.O.O. Boosts Holdings in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Key Points

• Triglav Skladi D.O.O. increased its holdings in Lowe's Companies by 2.4% during Q1, now owning 54,375 shares valued at approximately $12.68 million.
• Several institutional investors, including the State of Alaska Department of Revenue and Aptus Capital Advisors LLC, also raised their holdings in Lowe's recently, indicating strong institutional interest.
• Lowe's has increased its quarterly dividend to $1.20 per share, reflecting a 2.0% yield and a dividend payout ratio of 39.77%.

Triglav Skladi D.O.O. grew its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 2.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 54,375 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 1,270 shares during the quarter. Lowe's Companies accounts for approximately 1.1% of Triglav Skladi D.O.O.'s holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Triglav Skladi D.O.O.'s holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $12,682,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in LOW. State of Alaska Department of Revenue grew its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 1.2% in the first quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 125,299 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $29,223,000 after purchasing an additional 1,470 shares during the last quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Lowe's Companies by 14.0% in the fourth quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 106,305 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $26,236,000 after acquiring an additional 13,092 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in Lowe's Companies by 8.1% in the first quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 16,551 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $3,860,000 after acquiring an additional 1,242 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 16.3% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,074,391 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $1,745,960,000 after buying an additional 993,833 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Wealth Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 12.6% during the 1st quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Group LLC now owns 29,361 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $6,848,000 after buying an additional 3,295 shares in the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. Mizuho restated an "outperform" rating and set a $280.00 target price on shares of Lowe's Companies in a report on Friday, June 13th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $266.00 target price on shares of Lowe's Companies and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. DA Davidson dropped their target price on shares of Lowe's Companies from $270.00 to $240.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on shares of Lowe's Companies from $250.00 to $240.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Lowe's Companies from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe's Companies has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $270.68.

Lowe's Companies Trading Up 2.2%

Lowe's Companies stock opened at $245.10 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $225.01 and a 200 day moving average of $230.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $137.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.31, a P/E/G ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.89. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $206.38 and a 12-month high of $287.01.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.88 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $20.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.09 billion. Lowe's Companies had a net margin of 8.22% and a negative return on equity of 49.12%. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.06 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current year.

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 23rd were given a $1.20 dividend. This is a boost 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 2.0%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 23rd. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio is 39.77%.

Insider Transactions at Lowe's Companies

In related 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 in the company, valued at $7,256,795. This trade represents a 3.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Lowe's Companies

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.

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