Foundations Investment Advisors LLC Buys 19,976 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Foundations Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 307.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 26,482 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 19,976 shares during the period. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $7,173,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the first quarter valued at approximately $51,000. Keystone Wealth Services LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the first quarter valued at approximately $201,000. Affinity Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the first quarter worth approximately $202,000. Exchange Bank raised its position in Lowe’s Companies by 2.5% in the first quarter. Exchange Bank now owns 2,268 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $578,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the period. Finally, Security National Bank raised its position in Lowe’s Companies by 1.1% in the first quarter. Security National Bank now owns 47,135 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $12,007,000 after acquiring an additional 518 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on LOW. Evercore ISI increased their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $275.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 11th. Loop Capital upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $250.00 to $300.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, Gordon Haskett decreased their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $245.00 to $240.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $270.60.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

LOW opened at $276.84 on Tuesday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $181.85 and a fifty-two week high of $287.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $157.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.24, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a fifty day moving average of $258.29 and a 200 day moving average of $239.03.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.10 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.96 by $0.14. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.25% and a negative return on equity of 47.07%. The business had revenue of $23.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $23.93 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $4.56 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 23rd will be paid a $1.15 dividend. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.66%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.95%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Lowe’s Companies news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total value of $1,684,262.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 9,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,334,678.06. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.45, for a total value of $1,555,408.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 13,214 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,586,940.30. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total transaction of $1,684,262.58. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 9,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,334,678.06. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies 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.