Howe & Rusling Inc. Has $4.87 Million Stock Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Howe & Rusling Inc. trimmed its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 24.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 19,367 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 6,205 shares during the period. Howe & Rusling Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $4,867,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in LOW. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 0.7% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 54,976,355 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $12,197,604,000 after buying an additional 366,977 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 24,911,775 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $5,527,176,000 after acquiring an additional 207,826 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.3% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 12,351,783 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $2,732,049,000 after acquiring an additional 42,190 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the second quarter valued at about $1,773,624,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 12.1% during the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 4,294,776 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,079,320,000 after purchasing an additional 463,012 shares in the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $275.79 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $154.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.87, a P/E/G ratio of 4.30 and a beta of 0.97. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $206.38 and a 52-week high of $281.36. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $255.88 and its 200 day simple moving average is $249.04.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $20.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.88 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.05% and a negative return on equity of 55.86%. The company’s revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.89 earnings per share. 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 business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 21st were given a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, January 21st. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.80%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Bank of America reduced their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $280.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Mizuho dropped their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $285.00 to $272.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Telsey Advisory Group cut their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $285.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $284.81.

Insider Activity at Lowe’s Companies

In other news, CEO Marvin R. Ellison sold 18,000 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.17, for a total value of $4,701,060.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 231,043 shares in the company, valued at approximately $60,341,500.31. The trade was a 7.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.27% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.