Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW Shares Bought by Smartleaf Asset Management LLC

Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 55.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 9,647 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,441 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $2,444,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Alps Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 22.7% in the 3rd quarter. Alps Advisors Inc. now owns 57,415 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $14,429,000 after purchasing an additional 10,639 shares in the last quarter. a16z Perennial Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter valued at about $261,000. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 76.3% in the third quarter. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC now owns 5,897 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,482,000 after buying an additional 2,552 shares in the last quarter. Canada Post Corp Registered Pension Plan lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 36.1% in the third quarter. Canada Post Corp Registered Pension Plan now owns 10,522 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $2,665,000 after buying an additional 2,790 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ironwood Investment Counsel LLC boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 3.4% during the third quarter. Ironwood Investment Counsel LLC now owns 26,513 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $6,663,000 after acquiring an additional 883 shares during the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

NYSE LOW opened at $278.02 on Monday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $257.24 and a two-hundred day moving average of $249.92. The company has a market capitalization of $155.96 billion, a PE ratio of 23.05, a P/E/G ratio of 4.35 and a beta of 0.97. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $206.38 and a 1 year high of $281.36.

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

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 21st were issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, January 21st. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39.80%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lowe’s Companies

In other Lowe’s Companies news, CEO Marvin R. Ellison sold 18,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.17, for a total transaction of $4,701,060.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 231,043 shares in the company, valued at approximately $60,341,500.31. This represents 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 link. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LOW has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Wolfe Research decreased their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $285.00 to $284.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Nineteen equities 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $284.77.

About Lowe’s Companies

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.