Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd Acquires New Holdings in Lowe's Companies, Inc. $LOW

Key Points

• Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd opened a new position in Lowe’s, buying 42,736 shares valued at about $10.1 million in the first quarter.
• Lowe’s reported a solid quarter, with EPS of $3.03 beating estimates and revenue of $23.08 billion topping expectations; revenue rose 10.3% year over year.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $1.25 per share from $1.20, while analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with an average target price of $264.57.

Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new position in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 42,736 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock, valued at approximately $10,098,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in LOW. Swiss RE Ltd. acquired a new stake in Lowe's Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora increased its stake in shares of Lowe's Companies by 52.5% during 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 acquiring an additional 42 shares during the period. United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new stake in Lowe's Companies during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Sankala Group LLC bought a new position in Lowe's Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe's Companies Price Performance

LOW stock opened at $227.26 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $127.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.21, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.86. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $203.40 and a 52-week high of $293.06. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $222.05 and its 200-day simple moving average is $243.89.

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

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be given a $1.25 dividend. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. This is a positive change from Lowe's Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. Lowe's Companies's payout ratio is currently 40.57%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 17th. The shares were 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. The trade was a 36.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.90, for a total transaction of $3,139,885.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 39,785 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,828,291.50. The trade was a 26.24% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 25,980 shares of company stock worth $5,796,937. 0.29% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. KeyCorp dropped their price objective on Lowe's Companies from $300.00 to $275.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Lowe's Companies from $260.00 to $255.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Gordon Haskett lowered their price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies from $280.00 to $250.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Citigroup upgraded shares of 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. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane decreased their price target on shares of Lowe's Companies from $228.00 to $202.00 and set an "underperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $264.57.

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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