Aristotle Capital Management LLC Sells 183,168 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Aristotle Capital Management LLC lessened its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 5.3% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 3,242,794 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 183,168 shares during the quarter. Aristotle Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $766,227,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. TCM Advisors LLC grew its position in Lowe’s Companies by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. TCM Advisors LLC now owns 4,876 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,152,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund raised its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 142.4% during the first quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 1,033,232 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $244,132,000 after acquiring an additional 607,046 shares during the last quarter. Bollard Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 22.4% during the first quarter. Bollard Group LLC now owns 37,563 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $8,876,000 after purchasing an additional 6,868 shares during the period. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 5.3% during the first quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 3,737 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $883,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares during the period. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio raised its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 3.7% during the first quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 235,429 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $55,627,000 after acquiring an additional 8,358 shares during the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.83, for a total value of $559,575.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 20,220 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,525,842.60. This represents a 11.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was 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 owned 39,785 shares in the company, valued at $8,828,291.50. This trade represents a 26.24% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 25,980 shares of company stock worth $5,796,937 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 2.7%

Shares of NYSE:LOW opened at $207.35 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $215.22 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $240.22. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $199.40 and a 1-year high of $293.06. The stock has a market cap of $116.26 billion, a PE ratio of 17.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.86.

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

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be issued a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is currently 42.27%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LOW has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. HSBC cut their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $220.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. William Blair initiated coverage on Lowe’s Companies in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. They set an “overweight” rating for the company. Gordon Haskett lowered their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $250.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $276.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $275.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $264.57.

Lowe’s Companies 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.