Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW Stake Trimmed by Capital Investment Counsel Inc

Capital Investment Counsel Inc lessened its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 6.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 49,130 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 3,524 shares during the period. Lowe’s Companies makes up approximately 1.5% of Capital Investment Counsel Inc’s portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. Capital Investment Counsel Inc’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $12,347,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of LOW. Waterloo Capital L.P. grew its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Waterloo Capital L.P. now owns 3,455 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $767,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. TruWealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Lowe’s Companies by 2.7% in the 3rd quarter. TruWealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,580 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $397,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Cypress Wealth Services LLC grew its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 2.0% during the third quarter. Cypress Wealth Services LLC now owns 2,191 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $551,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Hidden Cove Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 4.6% during the third quarter. Hidden Cove Wealth Management LLC now owns 960 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $241,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Roble Belko & Company Inc increased its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 21.4% during the third quarter. Roble Belko & Company Inc now owns 250 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $63,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

LOW opened at $276.46 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $206.38 and a one year high of $281.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $155.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.59 and a beta of 0.96. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $249.28 and its 200-day simple moving average is $246.21.

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

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 21st will be given a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 21st. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 39.80%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Lowe’s Companies news, CEO Marvin R. Ellison sold 18,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.17, for a total transaction of $4,701,060.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 231,043 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $60,341,500.31. This trade represents a 7.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. Evercore ISI reaffirmed a “positive” rating on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. DA Davidson dropped their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $266.00 to $250.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Bank of America cut their price target on 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. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group decreased their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $285.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Nineteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $283.65.

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.