Econ Financial Services Corp Raises Stock Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Econ Financial Services Corp raised its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 26.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 19,974 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,147 shares during the period. Lowe’s Companies makes up approximately 2.2% of Econ Financial Services Corp’s holdings, making the stock its 15th biggest position. Econ Financial Services Corp’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $4,719,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in LOW. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,993,697,000. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 102.0% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,204,311 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,056,585,000 after purchasing an additional 2,122,622 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 45.2% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 6,555,565 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,580,941,000 after purchasing an additional 2,039,343 shares during the last quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP grew its position in Lowe’s Companies by 7,814.9% in the 4th quarter. J. Stern & Co. LLP now owns 1,490,369 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $359,417,000 after purchasing an additional 1,471,539 shares during the period. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Lowe’s Companies by 207.2% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,058,086 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $517,218,000 after purchasing an additional 1,388,133 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

NYSE:LOW opened at $222.42 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $203.40 and a one year high of $293.06. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $224.26 and a 200-day moving average price of $244.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $124.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.86.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $23.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.98 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 67.96% and a net margin of 7.51%.Lowe’s Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.92 earnings per share. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be issued a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. This is a positive change from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is currently 40.57%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on LOW shares. TD Cowen lowered their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $235.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. KGI Securities started coverage on Lowe’s Companies in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $255.00 price objective for the company. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $278.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Gordon Haskett lowered their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $250.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $315.00 to $285.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $264.57.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.90, for a total value of $3,139,885.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 39,785 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,828,291.50. This represents a 26.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.83, for a total transaction of $559,575.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 20,220 shares in the company, valued at $4,525,842.60. The trade was a 11.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 25,980 shares of company stock worth $5,796,937. Company insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

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.