Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Stock Position Cut by Westwood Holdings Group Inc.

Westwood Holdings Group Inc. lessened its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 5.3% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 101,963 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 5,738 shares during the period. Westwood Holdings Group Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $22,479,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Tidemark LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Keener Financial Planning LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 1st quarter valued at about $35,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC acquired a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Stephens Consulting LLC lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 93.3% in the 2nd quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 145 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Shares of Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $260.14 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $181.85 and a 1 year high of $262.49. The business has a 50-day moving average of $243.58 and a two-hundred day moving average of $235.36. The company has a market capitalization of $148.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.10.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.10 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.96 by $0.14. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 47.07% and a net margin of 8.25%. The firm had revenue of $23.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $23.93 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.56 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 23rd will be paid a dividend of $1.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 23rd. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.77%. This is a positive change from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.95%.

Insider Transactions at Lowe’s Companies

In other Lowe’s Companies news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total transaction of $1,684,262.58. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 9,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,334,678.06. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.26% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on LOW shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $272.00 to $270.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Telsey Advisory Group reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $230.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Tuesday, August 20th. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $275.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Finally, Gordon Haskett cut their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $245.00 to $240.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Thirteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $253.33.

About Lowe’s Companies

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.