Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW Shares Purchased by ProShare Advisors LLC

ProShare Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 844,254 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after buying an additional 12,704 shares during the quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC owned 0.15% of Lowe’s Companies worth $212,169,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Howard Hughes Medical Institute purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Solstein Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 627.8% during the second quarter. Solstein Capital LLC now owns 131 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 113 shares during the period. Activest Wealth Management grew its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 78.5% during the third quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 116 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Traub Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the second quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC increased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 128.8% in the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 135 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the period. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 1.1%

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $278.02 on Monday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $206.38 and a 12 month high of $281.36. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $257.24 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $249.92. The firm has a market cap of $155.96 billion, a PE ratio of 23.05, a P/E/G ratio of 4.35 and a beta of 0.97.

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, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.09. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.05% and a negative return on equity of 55.86%. The firm had revenue of $20.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.88 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.89 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 21st were given a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, January 21st. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 39.80%.

Insider Activity

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on the company. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $295.00 to $290.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Barclays upgraded Lowe’s Companies from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $285.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $280.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $296.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Nineteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $284.77.

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.