Russell Investments Group Ltd. Decreases Stock Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. lowered its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 557,646 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 10,723 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned approximately 0.10% of Lowe’s Companies worth $137,623,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. United Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. United Bank now owns 10,099 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $2,735,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares during the last quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter valued at about $205,000. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 2.7% during the third quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. now owns 240,526 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $65,146,000 after acquiring an additional 6,210 shares during the last quarter. Weiss Asset Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter worth about $16,143,000. Finally, Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 281.0% during the third quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 211,491 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $57,282,000 after acquiring an additional 155,982 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LOW opened at $223.05 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $242.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $256.47. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $211.80 and a 1-year high of $287.01. The company has a market cap of $124.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.10. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 47.55% and a net margin of 8.19%. The firm had revenue of $18.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.29 billion. Equities research analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 23rd will be given a $1.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 23rd. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.06%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 37.67%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on LOW shares. StockNews.com cut shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $290.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $292.00 to $285.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Wedbush reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Thursday, December 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.35.

Lowe’s Companies Company Profile

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.