Generali Asset Management SPA SGR Raises Stock Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 13.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 56,422 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,490 shares during the quarter. Generali Asset Management SPA SGR’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $14,179,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Lowe’s Companies by 0.7% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 54,976,355 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $12,197,604,000 after purchasing an additional 366,977 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.8% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 24,911,775 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $5,527,176,000 after buying an additional 207,826 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.3% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 12,351,783 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $2,732,049,000 after buying an additional 42,190 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,773,624,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,536,122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $784,559,000 after acquiring an additional 34,382 shares in the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on LOW shares. Oppenheimer lowered their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $320.00 to $315.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 3rd. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $325.00 to $316.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Evercore ISI reiterated a “positive” rating on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group lowered their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $285.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $276.80.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

LOW opened at $241.17 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $206.38 and a 12-month high of $274.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $135.28 billion, a PE ratio of 20.00, a P/E/G ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.96. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $239.75 and its 200 day moving average price is $240.95.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.09. The company 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 firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.89 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 21st will be paid a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 21st. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 39.80%.

Lowe’s Companies Company 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.