Saturna Capital Corp Sells 2,834 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Saturna Capital Corp trimmed its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 0.7% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 426,801 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 2,834 shares during the period. Lowe’s Companies makes up 1.4% of Saturna Capital Corp’s portfolio, making the stock its 27th biggest holding. Saturna Capital Corp’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $105,334,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of LOW. Summit X LLC increased its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 8.5% in the 4th quarter. Summit X LLC now owns 1,619 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $399,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares during the last quarter. Natural Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $964,000. AGF Management Ltd. bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,350,000. Cushing Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $725,000. Finally, Markel Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 701,480 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $173,125,000 after acquiring an additional 11,000 shares during the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

LOW opened at $232.48 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $131.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.39, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $211.80 and a fifty-two week high of $287.01. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $251.52 and a 200 day moving average of $259.14.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.10. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 47.55% and a net margin of 8.19%. The business had revenue of $18.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.29 billion. Equities research analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LOW has been the topic of a number of research reports. BNP Paribas raised shares of Lowe’s Companies to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $292.00 to $285.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Mizuho lowered their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Wedbush reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $250.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $280.83.

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.