Axa S.A. Lowers Stock Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Axa S.A. reduced its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 15.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 235,455 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 42,154 shares during the period. Axa S.A.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $47,084,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in LOW. Axiom Financial Strategies LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 9.8% in the 1st quarter. Axiom Financial Strategies LLC now owns 1,381 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $275,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares during the last quarter. United Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 6.8% during the 1st quarter. United Bank now owns 9,734 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,968,000 after acquiring an additional 617 shares in the last quarter. Prudential PLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 1st quarter valued at $1,629,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 256,098 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $51,780,000 after acquiring an additional 920 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 74.6% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 295 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $60,000 after acquiring an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.88% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Lowe’s Companies

In other news, EVP Janice Dupre sold 5,380 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $231.28, for a total value of $1,244,286.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,216 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,600,676.48. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, EVP Janice Dupre sold 5,380 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $231.28, for a total value of $1,244,286.40. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,216 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,600,676.48. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Joseph Michael Mcfarland sold 4,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $222.53, for a total transaction of $1,001,385.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 46,594 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,368,562.82. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE:LOW opened at $231.29 on Monday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $176.50 and a fifty-two week high of $237.21. The company has a market cap of $133.48 billion, a PE ratio of 22.76, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.09. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $227.45 and a 200 day simple moving average of $212.74.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 22nd. The home improvement retailer reported $4.56 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.49 by $0.07. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 6.48% and a negative return on equity of 58.56%. The firm had revenue of $24.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $24.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.67 EPS. Lowe’s Companies’s quarterly revenue was down 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 13.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 8th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 25th will be paid a $1.10 dividend. This represents a $4.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.90%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 24th. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 43.31%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently weighed in on LOW. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $245.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 23rd. Telsey Advisory Group restated a “market perform” rating and set a $230.00 target price (up previously from $225.00) on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Tuesday, August 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $252.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 22nd. Finally, Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $275.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, August 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $237.48.

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.