Insider Selling: Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) EVP Sells 1,130 Shares of Stock

Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 1,130 shares of Lowe's Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.50, for a total value of $257,075.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 31,898 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,256,795. The trade was a 3.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Lowe's Companies Trading Down 1.0%

Lowe's Companies stock traded down $2.35 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $225.24. 799,228 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,512,876. The stock has a market cap of $126.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.92. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $206.39 and a 1-year high of $287.01. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $223.89 and a two-hundred day moving average of $241.95.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.92 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.88 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $20.93 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.09 billion. Lowe's Companies had a negative return on equity of 47.55% and a net margin of 8.19%. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.06 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 23rd will be issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 23rd. 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 dividend yield of 2.13%. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.77%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lowe's Companies

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe's Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Marshall Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Fairway Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Lowe's Companies during the first quarter worth approximately $32,000. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations bought a new stake in shares of Lowe's Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Orion Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on shares of Lowe's Companies from $295.00 to $285.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. Bank of America reduced their price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies from $305.00 to $290.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies from $244.00 to $242.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded Lowe's Companies from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $305.00 price target on shares of Lowe's Companies in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $271.12.

Lowe's Companies Company Profile

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.