Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-eight analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $274.88.

A number of research analysts recently commented on LOW shares. Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $280.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Argus dropped their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $286.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Wall Street Zen raised Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $282.00 to $284.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, November 20th.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Joseph Michael Mcfarland sold 43,810 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $272.60, for a total value of $11,942,606.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 66,566 shares in the company, valued at $18,145,891.60. This trade represents a 39.69% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.27% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 119.7% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 31,965 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $7,889,000 after buying an additional 17,413 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 31.6% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,078 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $266,000 after acquiring an additional 259 shares in the last quarter. Cooper Financial Group increased its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 9.6% in the 1st quarter. Cooper Financial Group now owns 1,656 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $386,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares during the period. Meridian Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.9% in the first quarter. Meridian Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,437 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $2,668,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AIA Group Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the first quarter worth approximately $577,000. 74.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Down 0.9%

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $242.73 on Wednesday. Lowe’s Companies has a 52-week low of $206.38 and a 52-week high of $274.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $136.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.13, a PEG ratio of 4.06 and a beta of 0.96. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $238.75 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $238.79.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.09. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 55.86% and a net margin of 8.05%.The firm had revenue of $20.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.88 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.89 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 12.250-12.250 EPS. Research analysts expect 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 will be paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 21st will be paid a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 21st. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 39.80%.

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.