Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Shares Sold by Dillon & Associates Inc.

Dillon & Associates Inc. decreased its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 0.6% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 77,171 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 445 shares during the period. Lowe’s Companies accounts for 2.6% of Dillon & Associates Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest position. Dillon & Associates Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $19,061,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of LOW. StoneX Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 3rd quarter worth $2,713,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 4.0% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 649,601 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $175,944,000 after purchasing an additional 24,812 shares during the period. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 288.6% during the 4th quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC now owns 19,028 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $4,696,000 after purchasing an additional 14,132 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 362,209 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $98,104,000 after purchasing an additional 4,435 shares during the period. Finally, Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 19,830 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $4,894,000 after acquiring an additional 501 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $227.09 on Monday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $211.80 and a 12-month high of $287.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $128.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $247.99 and its two-hundred day moving average is $257.88.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.10. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.19% and a negative return on equity of 47.55%. The company had revenue of $18.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.29 billion. As a group, analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 23rd will be paid a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.03%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 37.67%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on LOW shares. Mizuho reduced their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $290.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $301.00 to $304.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $280.83.

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.