First Trust Advisors LP Has $56.70 Million Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

First Trust Advisors LP cut its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 11.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 239,987 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 31,678 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $56,704,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab increased its position in Lowe’s Companies by 312.0% during the first quarter. Danica Pension Livsforsikringsaktieselskab now owns 65,061 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $15,373,000 after acquiring an additional 49,271 shares during the period. Triad Investment Management bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the 1st quarter valued at $422,000. Oslo Pensjonsforsikring AS bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the 1st quarter valued at $504,000. Summit Asset Management LLC grew its position in Lowe’s Companies by 28.5% in the 1st quarter. Summit Asset Management LLC now owns 1,200 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $284,000 after purchasing an additional 266 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC grew its position in Lowe’s Companies by 85.1% in the 1st quarter. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC now owns 211 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.90, for a total transaction of $3,139,885.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 39,785 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,828,291.50. The trade was a 26.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.81, for a total value of $2,097,477.30. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 16,142 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,628,883.02. The trade was a 36.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 25,980 shares of company stock worth $5,796,937. 0.29% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of LOW stock opened at $207.35 on Monday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $199.40 and a 52 week high of $293.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $116.26 billion, a PE ratio of 17.53, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.86. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $215.22 and its 200-day moving average is $240.18.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.06. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 67.96% and a net margin of 7.51%.The business had revenue of $23.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.98 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.92 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be issued a $1.25 dividend. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 22nd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 42.27%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on LOW shares. Citigroup upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $285.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Mizuho lowered their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $294.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $235.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $325.00 to $279.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $264.57.

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.