Astoria Portfolio Advisors LLC. Raises Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Astoria Portfolio Advisors LLC. grew its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 3.0% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 5,821 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 172 shares during the period. Astoria Portfolio Advisors LLC.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $1,462,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. FMR LLC increased its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 10.2% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 26,010,730 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $7,045,006,000 after acquiring an additional 2,399,897 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.9% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 25,013,655 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $6,774,948,000 after purchasing an additional 460,851 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.6% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 11,733,461 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $3,169,041,000 after purchasing an additional 187,473 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc boosted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.6% in the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 5,205,491 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,147,603,000 after purchasing an additional 82,978 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,369,052 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $912,508,000 after buying an additional 39,953 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on LOW. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $262.00 to $307.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, September 30th. Loop Capital upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $250.00 to $300.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Mizuho raised their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $282.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and issued a $300.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $280.85.

Insider Activity

In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Quonta D. Vance sold 7,198 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.37, for a total transaction of $1,974,915.26. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 16,703 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,582,802.11. This trade represents a 30.12 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE:LOW opened at $261.39 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $147.59 billion, a PE ratio of 21.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 1.11. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $260.10 and its 200-day moving average price is $254.31. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $209.55 and a twelve month high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 22nd will be paid a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.76%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 22nd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 38.37%.

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.