Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• Lowe’s has a consensus analyst rating of “Moderate Buy” from 36 firms, with 23 buy ratings, 11 holds, and 2 sells. The average 12-month price target is about $264.57.
• The company reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings, posting EPS of $3.03 versus the $2.97 estimate and revenue of $23.08 billion, up 10.3% year over year. Lowe’s also maintained FY2026 guidance of 12.25–12.75 EPS.
• Lowe’s announced a higher quarterly dividend of $1.25 per share, up from $1.20, implying a 2.2% annualized yield. Meanwhile, several executives sold shares recently, and institutional investors continue to own the vast majority of the stock.

Shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the thirty-six ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eleven have assigned a hold recommendation and twenty-three have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $264.5667.

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Craig Hallum upgraded shares of Lowe's Companies to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Evercore dropped their price objective on Lowe's Companies from $250.00 to $230.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on Lowe's Companies from $264.00 to $232.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on shares of Lowe's Companies from $270.00 to $220.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Oppenheimer lowered their price target on Lowe's Companies from $315.00 to $275.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 18th.

Lowe's Companies Price Performance

NYSE:LOW opened at $222.42 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $124.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.80, a P/E/G ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 0.86. Lowe's Companies has a 1 year low of $203.40 and a 1 year high of $293.06. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $224.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $244.57.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 business had revenue of $23.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $22.98 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.92 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue 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 anticipate that Lowe's Companies will post 12.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders 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 yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. Lowe's Companies's payout ratio is currently 40.57%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Lowe's Companies news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 16,142 shares in the company, valued at $3,628,883.02. This represents a 36.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.90, for a total value of $3,139,885.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 39,785 shares in the company, valued at $8,828,291.50. This trade represents a 26.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 25,980 shares of company stock valued at $5,796,937 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.29% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in shares of Lowe's Companies by 119.7% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 31,965 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $7,889,000 after acquiring an additional 17,413 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in Lowe's Companies by 31.6% during the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,078 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $266,000 after buying an additional 259 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Lowe's Companies by 22.3% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,534 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $340,000 after acquiring an additional 280 shares in the last quarter. United Bank boosted its holdings in Lowe's Companies by 1.3% in the second quarter. United Bank now owns 12,124 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $2,690,000 after acquiring an additional 155 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. raised its position in shares of Lowe's Companies by 13.1% in the 2nd quarter. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. now owns 2,378 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $528,000 after purchasing an additional 275 shares during the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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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