Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Shares Sold by Cannell & Spears LLC

Cannell & Spears LLC trimmed its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 4.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 179,657 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 8,676 shares during the quarter. Cannell & Spears LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $44,339,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in LOW. IFS Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 56.4% in the 4th quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Down 1.7 %

LOW stock opened at $228.20 on Monday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $245.57 and a 200-day simple moving average of $257.38. The company has a market capitalization of $127.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.03, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $211.80 and a twelve month high of $287.01.

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

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 23rd will be paid a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.67%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on LOW shares. BNP Paribas raised Lowe’s Companies to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $292.00 to $285.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $290.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $279.71.

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.