Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW Shares Sold by Arvest Bank Trust Division

Arvest Bank Trust Division lessened its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 4.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 49,879 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 2,259 shares during the quarter. Arvest Bank Trust Division’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $12,535,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of LOW. Howard Hughes Medical Institute bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Solstein Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 627.8% in the 2nd quarter. Solstein Capital LLC now owns 131 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 113 shares during the period. Activest Wealth Management grew its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 78.5% during the 3rd 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 acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC grew its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 128.8% during the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 135 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on LOW shares. Citigroup increased their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday. HSBC decreased their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $285.00 to $263.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Argus reduced their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $286.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $325.00 to $316.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $287.22.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Marvin R. Ellison sold 18,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 231,043 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $60,341,500.31. This represents a 7.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 0.6%

NYSE:LOW opened at $287.36 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $261.89 and its 200-day moving average is $252.35. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $206.38 and a 12 month high of $293.06. The firm has a market cap of $161.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.83, a P/E/G ratio of 4.48 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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $20.81 billion for 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%. Lowe’s Companies’s revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.89 EPS. Research analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Lowe’s Companies

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.