Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Shares Bought by DnB Asset Management AS

DnB Asset Management AS lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 4.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 102,983 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after buying an additional 4,195 shares during the quarter. DnB Asset Management AS’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $25,416,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in LOW. United Bank lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. United Bank now owns 10,099 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $2,735,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares during the last quarter. Vinva Investment Management Ltd lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 2.3% during the 3rd quarter. Vinva Investment Management Ltd now owns 6,059 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,619,000 after buying an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 47,932 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $12,982,000 after acquiring an additional 382 shares in the last quarter. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 7,355 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,994,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Icon Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 8.6% during the 3rd quarter. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 4,567 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,237,000 after acquiring an additional 361 shares in the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:LOW opened at $228.20 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $211.80 and a 1 year high of $287.01. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $245.57 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $257.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $127.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.03, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.10. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.19% and a negative return on equity of 47.55%. The firm had revenue of $18.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.29 billion. On average, analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 23rd will be paid a $1.15 dividend. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is currently 37.67%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on LOW. BNP Paribas raised Lowe’s Companies to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Mizuho dropped their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Wedbush reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $250.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $279.71.

Lowe’s Companies Company 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.