Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Shares Sold by Westside Investment Management Inc.

Westside Investment Management Inc. decreased its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 7.5% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 801 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 65 shares during the quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $177,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Private Management Group Inc. boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 4.0% during the fourth quarter. Private Management Group Inc. now owns 1,205 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $268,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. McAdam LLC increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 3.5% during the 1st quarter. McAdam LLC now owns 1,363 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $347,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. First Bank & Trust raised its position in Lowe’s Companies by 3.1% during the first quarter. First Bank & Trust now owns 1,509 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $384,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Exchange Bank lifted its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. Exchange Bank now owns 2,315 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $510,000 after buying an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cypress Wealth Services LLC grew its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 2.3% during the 2nd quarter. Cypress Wealth Services LLC now owns 2,089 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $460,000 after buying an additional 47 shares during the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on LOW. StockNews.com upgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 2nd. Evercore ISI cut their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $225.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 13th. DA Davidson lowered their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $240.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $246.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, May 22nd. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $250.19.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

LOW stock traded up $0.85 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $240.91. 673,565 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,522,890. The firm has a market cap of $137.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.07. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $181.85 and a 1-year high of $262.49. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $229.40 and its 200 day simple moving average is $231.42.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.94 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $21.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $21.14 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.46% and a negative return on equity of 48.52%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.67 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 24th were issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 24th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.25%. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is presently 36.95%.

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.