Haverford Financial Services Inc. Sells 1,579 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Haverford Financial Services Inc. reduced its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 3.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 51,476 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 1,579 shares during the period. Lowe’s Companies accounts for 3.4% of Haverford Financial Services Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 15th biggest holding. Haverford Financial Services Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $11,348,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of LOW. Tidemark LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Stephens Consulting LLC increased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 93.3% during the second quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 145 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Keener Financial Planning LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the first quarter worth about $35,000. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Down 0.0 %

Shares of LOW stock opened at $256.63 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $146.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.61, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.10. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $242.43 and its 200 day moving average is $235.09. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $181.85 and a 12 month high of $262.49.

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

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 23rd will be paid a dividend of $1.15 per share. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.79%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 36.95%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LOW has been the subject of several recent research reports. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $245.00 to $238.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $272.00 to $270.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Wedbush restated a “neutral” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $252.83.

Insider Activity at Lowe’s Companies

In related news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total transaction of $1,684,262.58. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 9,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,334,678.06. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.