Cerity Partners LLC Buys 7,391 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Cerity Partners LLC lifted its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 3.3% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 233,039 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after buying an additional 7,391 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $58,565,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. Mccarter Private Wealth Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 3.6% during the third quarter. Mccarter Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 3,180 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $799,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the period. SeaBridge Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in Lowe’s Companies by 22.7% during the third quarter. SeaBridge Investment Advisors LLC now owns 15,817 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $3,975,000 after buying an additional 2,929 shares during the period. Kathmere Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 12.6% in the 3rd quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 3,259 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $819,000 after purchasing an additional 364 shares in the last quarter. Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter valued at approximately $225,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 8.0% in the 3rd quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 11,554 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $2,904,000 after acquiring an additional 853 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of LOW opened at $247.16 on Thursday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $206.38 and a fifty-two week high of $274.98. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $240.07 and a 200-day simple moving average of $242.10. The company has a market capitalization of $138.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 0.96.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, November 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 business had revenue of $20.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.88 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.89 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 21st will be issued a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 21st. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.80%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have commented on LOW shares. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $282.00 to $284.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Evercore ISI restated a “positive” rating on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $285.00 to $272.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Eighteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $277.52.

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.