Asahi Life Asset Management CO. LTD. Takes $540,000 Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Asahi Life Asset Management CO. LTD. purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 2,190 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $540,000.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter valued at $27,000. IFS Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Marshall Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. JNBA Financial Advisors increased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 555.6% during the third quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors now owns 118 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, Winch Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 56.4% during the fourth quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:LOW opened at $248.71 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $252.52 and its two-hundred day moving average is $259.05. The firm has a market cap of $140.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.74, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.11. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $211.80 and a one year high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.10. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 47.55% and a net margin of 8.19%. The firm had revenue of $18.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.29 billion. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently issued reports on LOW. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $305.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday. BNP Paribas raised Lowe’s Companies to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Bank of America lowered 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. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $229.00 to $245.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $280.83.

Lowe’s Companies 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.