Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Stake Lowered by Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lessened its position in shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 36.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 51,562 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after selling 29,763 shares during the quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund's holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $11,475,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Morgan Stanley boosted its stake in shares of Lowe's Companies by 1.1% in the third quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 10,930,693 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $2,271,836,000 after buying an additional 116,855 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in Lowe's Companies by 1.1% during the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,138,824 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $1,483,733,000 after purchasing an additional 78,901 shares in the last quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group boosted its position in Lowe's Companies by 189.5% during the third quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 2,798,268 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $581,592,000 after purchasing an additional 1,831,727 shares in the last quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board boosted its position in Lowe's Companies by 187,225.6% during the third quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board now owns 2,111,159 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $438,783,000 after purchasing an additional 2,110,032 shares in the last quarter. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Lowe's Companies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $430,090,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company's stock.

Lowe's Companies Trading Up 1.1 %

Lowe's Companies stock traded up $2.46 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $233.69. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,189,739 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,533,403. The firm has a market capitalization of $133.72 billion, a PE ratio of 17.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.13. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $181.85 and a 1 year high of $262.49. The stock's fifty day moving average is $239.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $219.11.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.77 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $18.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.47 billion. Lowe's Companies had a negative return on equity of 51.42% and a net margin of 8.94%. The company's quarterly revenue was down 17.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.28 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 12.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe's Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 8th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 24th will be paid a $1.10 dividend. This represents a $4.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.88%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 23rd. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio is presently 33.43%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have issued reports on LOW. Mizuho began coverage on Lowe's Companies in a research report on Tuesday, March 19th. They set a "buy" rating and a $280.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Lowe's Companies from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Robert W. Baird upgraded Lowe's Companies from an "average" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $250.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. StockNews.com downgraded Lowe's Companies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Finally, DA Davidson reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $270.00 price target on shares of Lowe's Companies in a research report on Wednesday, March 27th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $252.52.

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.