Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) Raised to Strong Sell at BNP Paribas

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) was upgraded by analysts at BNP Paribas to a “strong sell” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and issued a $300.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Wedbush restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $250.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $229.00 to $245.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $280.83.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 1.3 %

LOW stock opened at $248.71 on Thursday. Lowe’s Companies has a 12 month low of $211.80 and a 12 month high of $287.01. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $252.52 and a 200 day moving average price of $258.89. The stock has a market cap of $140.43 billion, a PE ratio of 20.74, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.11.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.10. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.19% and a negative return on equity of 47.55%. The firm had revenue of $18.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.29 billion. Sell-side analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies will post 11.9 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. IFS Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 56.4% during the 4th quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Finally, JNBA Financial Advisors raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 555.6% in the 3rd quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors now owns 118 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

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.