Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Shares Acquired by Aspiriant LLC

Aspiriant LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,636 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the quarter. Aspiriant LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $1,945,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Private Management Group Inc. boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 4.0% during the fourth quarter. Private Management Group Inc. now owns 1,205 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $268,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 2,590 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $576,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Jag Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Jag Capital Management LLC now owns 15,772 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $3,510,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Hamilton Capital LLC raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 2.1% during the third quarter. Hamilton Capital LLC now owns 2,439 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $507,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares during the period. Finally, Abundance Wealth Counselors raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Abundance Wealth Counselors now owns 6,671 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,485,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 0.7 %

NYSE LOW opened at $218.78 on Thursday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $181.85 and a 52 week high of $262.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $124.67 billion, a PE ratio of 17.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.08. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $225.89 and a two-hundred day moving average of $228.28.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.94 by $0.12. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.46% and a negative return on equity of 48.52%. The company had revenue of $21.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21.14 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.67 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 24th will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.27%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 24th. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.34%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on LOW shares. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 18th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $230.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Monday, March 4th. Mizuho started coverage on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Tuesday, March 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $280.00 target price on the stock. Gordon Haskett reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $245.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, April 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $251.33.

Lowe’s Companies Company Profile

Lowe's Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a home improvement retailer in the United States. The company offers a line of products for construction, maintenance, repair, remodeling, and decorating. It also provides home improvement products, such as appliances, seasonal and outdoor living, lawn and garden, lumber, kitchens and bath, tools, paint, millwork, hardware, flooring, rough plumbing, building materials, décor, and electrical.