Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty-six analysts that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and twenty-three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $264.5667.

LOW has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. KeyCorp lowered their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $275.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Raymond James Financial lowered shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “market perform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $303.00 to $281.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. William Blair began coverage on Lowe’s Companies in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating on the stock. Finally, Bank of America cut their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $257.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 21st.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 20,220 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,525,842.60. This trade represents a 11.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.81, for a total transaction of $2,097,477.30. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 16,142 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,628,883.02. The trade was a 36.63% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 25,980 shares of company stock worth $5,796,937. 0.29% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lowe’s Companies

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of LOW. Ballast Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the first quarter valued at $134,000. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. grew its position in Lowe’s Companies by 12.7% in the first quarter. FAS Wealth Partners Inc. now owns 1,932 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $456,000 after acquiring an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Rathbones Group PLC grew its position in Lowe’s Companies by 2.6% in the first quarter. Rathbones Group PLC now owns 7,688 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,817,000 after acquiring an additional 198 shares in the last quarter. Stillwater Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the first quarter worth approximately $280,000. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 9.1% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 8,973 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $2,120,000 after buying an additional 752 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE LOW opened at $222.42 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $224.26 and its 200-day moving average price is $244.57. The company has a market cap of $124.71 billion, a PE ratio of 18.80, a P/E/G ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 0.86. Lowe’s Companies has a 52-week low of $203.40 and a 52-week high of $293.06.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $23.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.98 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.92 earnings per share. Lowe’s Companies’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, analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies will post 12.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be paid a $1.25 dividend. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. 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 dividend payout ratio is currently 40.57%.

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.