Carret Asset Management LLC Lowers Stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Carret Asset Management LLC lowered its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 4.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 7,379 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 374 shares during the quarter. Carret Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $1,821,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. IFS Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 56.4% in the fourth quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $45,000. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Down 2.6 %

Shares of NYSE LOW opened at $222.47 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $211.80 and a twelve month high of $287.01. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $250.66 and its 200-day moving average price is $258.67. The company has a market capitalization of $125.62 billion, a PE ratio of 18.55, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $301.00 to $304.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $305.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $292.00 to $285.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. StockNews.com cut shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus 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.