Davis R M Inc. Sells 39 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Davis R M Inc. cut its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 0.3% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 12,443 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 39 shares during the period. Davis R M Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $3,370,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1,889.7% during the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 2,134,969 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $578,256,000 after acquiring an additional 2,027,668 shares during the period. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 20,275.6% during the 2nd quarter. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC now owns 1,205,014 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $2,657,000 after purchasing an additional 1,199,100 shares during the period. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC raised its position in Lowe’s Companies by 387.7% during the 3rd quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC now owns 811,374 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $219,761,000 after purchasing an additional 645,017 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 170.5% in the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 735,633 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $162,178,000 after buying an additional 463,645 shares during the period. Finally, Hardin Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 2nd quarter worth $74,763,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LOW has been the subject of a number of research reports. Morgan Stanley upped 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 note on Wednesday, August 21st. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $272.00 to $270.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. DA Davidson increased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $240.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $277.92.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 13,214 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,586,940.30. This trade represents a 30.25 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total value of $1,684,262.58. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 9,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,334,678.06. This represents a 41.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.26% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of LOW opened at $264.68 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $268.74 and a two-hundred day moving average of $244.92. The stock has a market cap of $150.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.10. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $196.23 and a one year high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 23rd were given a $1.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, October 23rd. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.74%. This is a positive change from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 38.37%.

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.