Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-eight brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and nineteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $283.6538.

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on LOW shares. Mizuho cut their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $285.00 to $272.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $252.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 20th. HSBC decreased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $285.00 to $263.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Gordon Haskett upgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $325.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lowe’s Companies

In related news, CEO Marvin R. Ellison sold 18,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.17, for a total value of $4,701,060.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 231,043 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $60,341,500.31. The trade was a 7.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 0.6% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 55,306,162 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $13,898,992,000 after purchasing an additional 329,807 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.5% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 25,036,276 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $6,291,867,000 after buying an additional 124,501 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.3% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 12,351,783 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $2,732,049,000 after buying an additional 42,190 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,773,624,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 6,830,080 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,716,467,000 after acquiring an additional 103,827 shares during the period. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of LOW opened at $269.66 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $151.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.36, a P/E/G ratio of 4.54 and a beta of 0.96. Lowe’s Companies has a 52 week low of $206.38 and a 52 week high of $281.36. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $252.23 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $247.22.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $20.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.88 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 55.86% and a net margin of 8.05%.Lowe’s Companies’s quarterly revenue was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.89 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies will post 11.9 earnings per share 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. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 21st will be given a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 21st. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 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.