Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) Stock Price Up 1.8%

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)’s stock price traded up 1.8% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $256.64 and last traded at $256.64. 340,719 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 86% from the average session volume of 2,489,457 shares. The stock had previously closed at $252.05.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on LOW shares. StockNews.com upgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada lowered 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 note on Wednesday, August 21st. UBS Group increased their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Wedbush reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $250.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. Finally, DA Davidson reduced 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 report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $252.83.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 1.3 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $144.78 billion, a PE ratio of 20.61, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.10. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $239.28 and its 200 day moving average price is $234.61.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.96 by $0.14. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.25% and a negative return on equity of 47.07%. The business had revenue of $23.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.93 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $4.56 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.93 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 23rd will be paid a $1.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 23rd. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.80%. This is a positive change from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is presently 36.95%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Drive Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,894 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $418,000 after buying an additional 41 shares during the period. Crown Wealth Group LLC increased its position in Lowe’s Companies by 4.4% in the 2nd quarter. Crown Wealth Group LLC now owns 1,051 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $232,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the period. Pure Financial Advisors LLC raised its position in Lowe’s Companies by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter. Pure Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,813 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $400,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. BLB&B Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. BLB&B Advisors LLC now owns 2,062 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $454,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pathway Financial Advisers LLC raised its position in Lowe’s Companies by 3.5% in the second quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 1,331 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $292,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.