Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) Price Target Lowered to $250.00 at Stifel Nicolaus

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) had its price objective trimmed by Stifel Nicolaus from $270.00 to $250.00 in a research report sent to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a hold rating on the home improvement retailer’s stock.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on the company. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $270.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. BNP Paribas upgraded Lowe’s Companies to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Mizuho dropped their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $285.00 to $260.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 8th. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $290.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $276.17.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

LOW opened at $234.44 on Monday. Lowe’s Companies has a 52-week low of $206.39 and a 52-week high of $287.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $131.22 billion, a PE ratio of 19.55, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.00. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $224.47 and its 200 day simple moving average is $245.52.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share (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 business had revenue of $18.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.29 billion. On average, research analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 23rd were paid a dividend of $1.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 23rd. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.96%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.67%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lowe’s Companies

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV increased its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 19,830 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $4,894,000 after acquiring an additional 501 shares during the period. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 14.0% during the 4th quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 106,305 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $26,236,000 after acquiring an additional 13,092 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors increased its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 11.0% during the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 26,329 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $6,498,000 after acquiring an additional 2,615 shares during the period. Great Lakes Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC now owns 472,838 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $116,696,000 after purchasing an additional 7,187 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 16.3% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,074,391 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,745,960,000 after purchasing an additional 993,833 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

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.