Confluence Investment Management LLC Reduces Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Confluence Investment Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 223,924 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 3,209 shares during the quarter. Confluence Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $56,275,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of LOW. SeaBridge Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 3.7% during the 2nd quarter. SeaBridge Investment Advisors LLC now owns 12,888 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $2,859,000 after purchasing an additional 465 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its position in Lowe’s Companies by 2.6% in the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 154,692 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $34,322,000 after purchasing an additional 3,947 shares during the period. Strathmore Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the second quarter worth about $2,717,000. First Pacific Financial lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 147.3% during the second quarter. First Pacific Financial now owns 2,752 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $611,000 after purchasing an additional 1,639 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Prudential Financial Inc. boosted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.7% in the second quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 826,356 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $183,344,000 after buying an additional 5,820 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 0.8%

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $242.42 on Tuesday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $206.38 and a 52 week high of $274.98. The stock has a market cap of $135.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.99 and a beta of 0.96. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $239.85 and a 200-day moving average of $240.08.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $20.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.88 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.05% and a negative return on equity of 55.86%. The business’s revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.89 earnings per share. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 12.250-12.250 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 21st will be paid a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 21st. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 39.80%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LOW has been the topic of several analyst reports. Argus dropped their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $286.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered 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. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Evercore ISI restated a “positive” rating on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $276.80.

Lowe’s Companies Profile

Lowe’s Companies, Inc is a leading home improvement retailer that operates large-format stores and digital channels serving both do-it-yourself homeowners and professional contractors. The company offers a broad assortment of products including building materials, lumber, appliances, tools and hardware, plumbing and electrical supplies, paint, flooring, kitchen and bath fixtures, outdoor and garden products, and home decor. Lowe’s also provides a range of services such as installation, home improvement financing, tool and equipment rental, and contractor-focused sales programs.

Operations are centered on a nationwide brick-and-mortar store network supported by distribution centers and an e-commerce platform that enables online ordering, delivery and in-store pickup.