Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Holdings Raised by Financial Strategies Group Inc.

Financial Strategies Group Inc. boosted its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 20.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 17,332 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after buying an additional 2,945 shares during the quarter. Lowe’s Companies makes up about 1.1% of Financial Strategies Group Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 26th biggest position. Financial Strategies Group Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $4,236,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Tidemark LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Transcendent Capital Group LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently issued reports on LOW. Telsey Advisory Group restated a “market perform” rating and set a $230.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Tuesday, May 21st. Wedbush restated a “neutral” rating and set a $250.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Oppenheimer restated a “market perform” rating and set a $230.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Monday, March 4th. Zelman & Associates restated a “neutral” rating and set a $265.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Finally, Mizuho began coverage on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Tuesday, March 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $280.00 price objective on the stock. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $250.41.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Shares of LOW stock traded down $0.70 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $212.86. 1,265,252 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,544,571. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $181.85 and a fifty-two week high of $262.49. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $225.32 and its two-hundred day moving average is $228.49. The company has a market cap of $121.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.07, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.08.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.94 by $0.12. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.46% and a negative return on equity of 48.52%. The company had revenue of $21.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.14 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.67 earnings per share. Lowe’s Companies’s quarterly revenue was down 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.23 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 24th will be issued a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 24th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.28%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 35.34%.

About Lowe’s Companies

Lowe's Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a home improvement retailer in the United States. The company offers a line of products for construction, maintenance, repair, remodeling, and decorating. It also provides home improvement products, such as appliances, seasonal and outdoor living, lawn and garden, lumber, kitchens and bath, tools, paint, millwork, hardware, flooring, rough plumbing, building materials, décor, and electrical.