Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC Increases Stock Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 268.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,041 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after buying an additional 2,216 shares during the quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $764,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Howard Hughes Medical Institute purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Solstein Capital LLC increased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 627.8% during the second quarter. Solstein Capital LLC now owns 131 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Traub Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the second quarter worth about $30,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 128.8% in the 2nd quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 135 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Olistico Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at about $33,000. 74.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on LOW shares. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $325.00 to $316.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wolfe Research lowered their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $308.00 to $285.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Gordon Haskett upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Nineteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $283.65.

Insider Activity at Lowe’s Companies

In other news, CEO Marvin R. Ellison sold 18,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.17, for a total transaction of $4,701,060.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 231,043 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $60,341,500.31. This represents a 7.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of NYSE:LOW opened at $269.66 on Thursday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $206.38 and a 52 week high of $281.36. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $252.23 and a 200 day moving average price of $247.22. The company has a market cap of $151.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.36, a PEG ratio of 4.54 and a beta of 0.96.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $20.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.88 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 55.86% and a net margin of 8.05%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.89 EPS. Analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 21st will be issued a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 21st. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.80%.

Lowe’s Companies Company Profile

Lowe’s Companies, Inc is a leading home improvement retailer that operates large-format stores and digital channels serving both do-it-yourself homeowners and professional contractors. The company offers a broad assortment of products including building materials, lumber, appliances, tools and hardware, plumbing and electrical supplies, paint, flooring, kitchen and bath fixtures, outdoor and garden products, and home decor. Lowe’s also provides a range of services such as installation, home improvement financing, tool and equipment rental, and contractor-focused sales programs.

Operations are centered on a nationwide brick-and-mortar store network supported by distribution centers and an e-commerce platform that enables online ordering, delivery and in-store pickup.