Vectors Research Management LLC Trims Stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Vectors Research Management LLC trimmed its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,931 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 133 shares during the period. Vectors Research Management LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $1,876,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. JNBA Financial Advisors lifted its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 555.6% in the third quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors now owns 118 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 118.6% in the third quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 129 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 93.3% during the second quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 145 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Kimelman & Baird LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, Tsfg LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 128.2% in the 3rd quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 178 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on LOW. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $272.00 to $270.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. Wedbush restated a “neutral” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Telsey Advisory Group raised shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their target price for the company from $275.00 to $305.00 in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Loop Capital raised shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the company from $250.00 to $300.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $273.84.

Insider Transactions at Lowe’s Companies

In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of the business’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 of the company’s stock, valued at $3,586,940.30. The trade was a 30.25 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 12th. The stock was 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 approximately $2,334,678.06. The trade was a 41.91 % 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 Price Performance

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $270.35 on Friday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $266.16 and a 200-day simple moving average of $243.06. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $196.23 and a 12 month high of $287.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $153.37 billion, a PE ratio of 22.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.10.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.96 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $23.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.93 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.25% and a negative return on equity of 47.07%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.56 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 23rd were paid a $1.15 dividend. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, October 23rd. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.70%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 38.14%.

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.