Margrethe R. Vagell Sells 5,730 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Stock

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $271.45, for a total value of $1,555,408.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 13,214 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,586,940.30. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of Lowe’s Companies stock traded down $1.56 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $270.30. The company had a trading volume of 1,634,303 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,479,759. The stock has a market cap of $154.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.84, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.10. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $181.85 and a 12-month high of $274.16. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $248.33 and a 200 day simple moving average of $236.73.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $23.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.93 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $4.56 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.93 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 23rd will be issued a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.70%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 23rd. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.95%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on LOW. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $240.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 19th. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on 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. Evercore ISI increased their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $263.54.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 824.6% in 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 buying an additional 13,680 shares during the period. Bamco Inc. NY lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 10.3% in the first quarter. Bamco Inc. NY now owns 216,958 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $55,266,000 after acquiring an additional 20,181 shares during the period. Plato Investment Management Ltd boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 655.9% in the 1st quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd now owns 6,304 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,606,000 after purchasing an additional 5,470 shares in the last quarter. 17 Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,368,000. Finally, Gerber LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $235,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.