Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) has received an average rating of “Hold” from the twenty-six research firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and twelve have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $250.41.

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on LOW shares. Zelman & Associates restated a “neutral” rating and set a $265.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Citigroup reduced their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $243.00 to $240.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 7th. StockNews.com cut Lowe’s Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 18th. Gordon Haskett restated a “hold” rating and issued a $245.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, April 3rd. Finally, Mizuho initiated 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 for the company.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

LOW stock opened at $213.75 on Wednesday. Lowe’s Companies has a 1 year low of $181.85 and a 1 year high of $262.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $121.80 billion, a PE ratio of 17.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.08. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $224.97 and a 200-day simple moving average of $228.40.

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 negative return on equity of 48.52% and a net margin of 8.46%. The business had revenue of $21.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.14 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.67 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies will post 12.23 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Cuts Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 7th. Investors 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 dividend yield of 0.28%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 24th. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 35.34%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lowe’s Companies

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Paragon Private Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 13.5% in the fourth quarter. Paragon Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,880 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,086,000 after acquiring an additional 581 shares during the period. ING Groep NV grew its position in Lowe’s Companies by 18,786.5% during the fourth quarter. ING Groep NV now owns 106,709 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $23,748,000 after buying an additional 106,144 shares during the period. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC now owns 215,442 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $47,947,000 after buying an additional 541 shares in the last quarter. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 824.6% during the 4th quarter. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP now owns 15,339 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $3,414,000 after acquiring an additional 13,680 shares during the period. Finally, Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 45,072 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $10,031,000 after acquiring an additional 540 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

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.