Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Stake Decreased by SFE Investment Counsel

SFE Investment Counsel decreased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 0.2% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 42,043 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 92 shares during the period. Lowe’s Companies makes up about 2.4% of SFE Investment Counsel’s holdings, making the stock its 9th biggest holding. SFE Investment Counsel’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $9,357,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC increased its position in Lowe’s Companies by 85.4% during the 3rd quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 152 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Sanctuary Wealth Management L.L.C. bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE LOW traded up $0.09 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $228.95. The stock had a trading volume of 1,118,997 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,539,702. The company has a 50 day moving average of $239.29 and a two-hundred day moving average of $218.38. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $181.85 and a twelve month high of $262.49. The firm has a market cap of $131.00 billion, a PE ratio of 17.39, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.13.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.09. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 51.42% and a net margin of 8.94%. The firm had revenue of $18.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.47 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.28 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down 17.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 8th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 24th will be given a $1.10 dividend. This represents a $4.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.92%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is 33.43%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on LOW shares. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $230.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Wednesday, March 27th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $240.00 to $225.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 16th. Robert W. Baird upgraded Lowe’s Companies from an “average” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $250.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $238.00 to $262.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th. Finally, Zelman & Associates restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $265.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Tuesday, April 2nd. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $252.52.

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.