Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) Earns “Outperform” Rating from Telsey Advisory Group

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW)‘s stock had its “outperform” rating restated by equities research analysts at Telsey Advisory Group in a report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $305.00 price target on the home improvement retailer’s stock. Telsey Advisory Group’s price target indicates a potential upside of 16.35% from the stock’s current price.

LOW has been the subject of several other reports. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $272.00 to $270.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 11th. Gordon Haskett lowered their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $245.00 to $240.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. Finally, Melius Research assumed coverage on Lowe’s Companies in a report on Monday, September 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $290.00 price objective on the stock. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $273.84.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Down 3.5 %

Shares of NYSE:LOW traded down $9.63 on Tuesday, hitting $262.14. 1,996,344 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,438,299. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $267.74 and its 200 day moving average price is $244.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $148.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.10. Lowe’s Companies has a 1-year low of $196.23 and a 1-year high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.93 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.56 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies will post 11.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lowe’s Companies

In other news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total transaction of $1,684,262.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 9,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,334,678.06. This trade represents a 41.91 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, 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 transaction of $1,555,408.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 13,214 shares in the company, valued at $3,586,940.30. This represents a 30.25 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lowe’s Companies

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LOW. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter valued at $27,000. Stephens Consulting LLC lifted its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 93.3% during the second quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 145 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 555.6% in the third quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors now owns 118 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 118.6% in the third quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 129 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kimelman & Baird LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the second quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

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.