EP Wealth Advisors LLC Has $14.12 Million Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

EP Wealth Advisors LLC cut its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 3.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 63,462 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 2,424 shares during the quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $14,123,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter worth $26,000. Tidemark LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

NYSE LOW traded down $3.51 on Friday, hitting $223.35. 1,936,610 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,526,158. The company has a market capitalization of $127.27 billion, a PE ratio of 17.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.08. The business’s fifty day moving average is $227.20 and its 200 day moving average is $227.09. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $181.85 and a 52 week high of $262.49.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.94 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $21.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21.14 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.46% and a negative return on equity of 48.52%. Lowe’s Companies’s quarterly revenue was down 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.67 EPS. Analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 24th will be paid a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.27%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 24th. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.34%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on LOW. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. StockNews.com upgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Telsey Advisory Group reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $230.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Tuesday, May 21st. Zelman & Associates reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $265.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Tuesday, April 2nd. Finally, Wedbush reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $250.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $251.33.

Lowe’s Companies 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.