Lowe's Companies (LOW) Downgraded by Zelman & Associates

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW) was downgraded by stock analysts at Zelman & Associates from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Friday, The Fly reports.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Stifel Nicolaus reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $103.00 target price on shares of Lowe's Companies in a research report on Friday, December 22nd. Barclays raised shares of Lowe's Companies from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Robert W. Baird reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $110.00 target price on shares of Lowe's Companies in a report on Wednesday. Jefferies Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $75.00 target price on shares of Lowe's Companies in a report on Thursday, September 28th. Finally, Piper Jaffray Companies reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $80.00 target price on shares of Lowe's Companies in a report on Friday, September 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating and eighteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. The company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $88.62.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE LOW) traded up $0.72 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $92.74. 3,542,700 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,895,767. Lowe's Companies has a fifty-two week low of $70.54 and a fifty-two week high of $93.55. The company has a quick ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.71. The stock has a market cap of $78,110.00, a PE ratio of 22.29, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.14.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $1.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $1.02 by $0.03. Lowe's Companies had a net margin of 5.16% and a return on equity of 66.27%. The business had revenue of $16.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $16.59 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.88 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. analysts forecast that Lowe's Companies will post 4.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In other Lowe's Companies news, insider Nelson B. Peace sold 3,352 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.20, for a total transaction of $268,830.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 4,650 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $372,930. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.11% of the company’s stock.

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Harbour Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe's Companies in the 1st quarter valued at about $103,000. Atlantic Trust LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $105,000. State of Alaska Department of Revenue grew its position in shares of Lowe's Companies by 8.3% in the 2nd quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 1,440 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $111,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. Motco boosted its position in Lowe's Companies by 33.4% during the 2nd quarter. Motco now owns 1,725 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $134,000 after purchasing an additional 432 shares during the period. Finally, Horan Capital Advisors LLC. acquired a new position in Lowe's Companies during the 3rd quarter worth $134,000. 73.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Lowe's Companies Company Profile

Lowe’s Companies, Inc (Lowe’s) is a home improvement company. The Company operates approximately 2,370 home improvement and hardware stores. The Company offers a range of products for maintenance, repair, remodeling and decorating. The Company offers home improvement products in categories, including Lumber and Building Materials; Tools and Hardware; Appliances; Fashion Fixtures; Rough Plumbing and Electrical; Lawn and Garden; Seasonal and Outdoor Living; Paint; Flooring; Millwork, and Kitchens.