Lowe's Companies Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:LOW)

Key Points

• Unusual options activity: Investors purchased 13,724 put options on Lowe’s, 62% above the typical volume of 8,486, signaling heightened downside-positioning activity.
• Mixed quarterly results: Adjusted EPS of $4.40 beat expectations, while revenue rose 8.3% year over year to $25.96 billion but missed estimates. Comparable sales increased 0.2%, supported by professional customers, online sales and home services.
• Guidance was lowered: Lowe’s expects fiscal 2026 revenue of about $92 billion and EPS of $12.25, both below analyst consensus, as housing uncertainty and weak discretionary DIY demand continue to pressure the business.

Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading on Wednesday. Investors purchased 13,724 put options on the company. This is an increase of 62% compared to the typical volume of 8,486 put options.

Lowe's Companies Price Performance

LOW traded up $5.23 on Wednesday, reaching $220.87. 2,522,152 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,868,775. The stock has a market cap of $123.84 billion, a PE ratio of 18.67, a P/E/G ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.86. Lowe's Companies has a twelve month low of $199.40 and a twelve month high of $293.06. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $216.12 and its 200-day moving average price is $233.78.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 19th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.40 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.22 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $25.96 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $26.13 billion. Lowe's Companies had a net margin of 7.51% and a negative return on equity of 67.96%. Lowe's Companies's quarterly revenue was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.33 EPS. Lowe's Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.250 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Lowe's Companies will post 12.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 22nd were issued a $1.25 dividend. This is a boost from Lowe's Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 22nd. Lowe's Companies's payout ratio is 42.27%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of Lowe's Companies 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 16,142 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,628,883.02. The trade was a 36.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.83, for a total transaction of $559,575.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 20,220 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,525,842.60. This trade represents a 11.00% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 25,980 shares of company stock valued at $5,796,937 in the last three months. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lowe's Companies

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. Swiss RE Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new stake in Lowe's Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Sankala Group LLC purchased a new position in Lowe's Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in Lowe's Companies during the third quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new position in Lowe's Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company's stock.

Lowe's Companies News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Lowe's Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted earnings exceeded expectations: Lowe’s reported adjusted diluted EPS of $4.40, above the $4.22 analyst consensus and up from $4.33 a year earlier. Tariff refunds helped support profitability. Lowe's Q2 Earnings Beat on Tariff Refunds, FY'26 Outlook Moves Lower
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue and comparable sales still grew: Quarterly revenue rose 8.3% year over year to $25.96 billion, while comparable sales increased 0.2%. Strength in professional customers, online sales and home services provided some support.
• Neutral Sentiment: Results were mixed: Revenue fell short of the $26.13 billion consensus estimate by approximately $150 million. Reported diluted EPS was $4.27, unchanged from the prior-year quarter, while the adjusted figure benefited from favorable items. Lowe's earnings report and conference call
• Negative Sentiment: Full-year guidance was reduced: Lowe’s now expects fiscal 2026 revenue of approximately $92 billion, the low end of its prior $92 billion-$94 billion range, versus analyst expectations of $93.3 billion. EPS guidance of $12.25 is below the $12.88 consensus.
• Negative Sentiment: DIY demand remains under pressure: Consumers continue to defer costly renovations amid housing-market and macroeconomic uncertainty. Management expects persistent weakness in discretionary do-it-yourself spending to weigh on sales and earnings through the rest of the year. Lowe's gives muted outlook amid pressure in home improvement spending

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on LOW. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on shares of Lowe's Companies from $300.00 to $293.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. UBS Group lowered their price objective on Lowe's Companies from $315.00 to $285.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Evercore cut their price objective on Lowe's Companies from $250.00 to $230.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Wolfe Research set a $254.00 target price on Lowe's Companies in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their target price on Lowe's Companies from $303.00 to $281.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Twenty-three 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $261.63.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source