Royal Bank Of Canada Boosts Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) Price Target to $257.00

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) had its price target increased by analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada from $252.00 to $257.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm presently has a “sector perform” rating on the home improvement retailer’s stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s price objective would suggest a potential downside of 7.05% from the stock’s current price.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on the stock. Evercore boosted their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $280.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $320.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Argus lowered their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $286.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Barclays upgraded Lowe’s Companies from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $285.00 price target on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Bank of America decreased their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $280.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Twenty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $289.59.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of Lowe’s Companies stock traded down $3.88 during trading on Monday, hitting $276.49. 159,442 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,765,898. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $264.63 and its 200 day simple moving average is $253.65. The firm has a market cap of $155.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.37 and a beta of 0.97. Lowe’s Companies has a 52-week low of $206.38 and a 52-week high of $293.06.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Marvin R. Ellison sold 18,000 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.17, for a total transaction of $4,701,060.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 231,043 shares in the company, valued at approximately $60,341,500.31. The trade was a 7.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Lowe’s Companies

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Swiss RE Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute acquired a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Solstein Capital LLC increased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 627.8% in the second quarter. Solstein Capital LLC now owns 131 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Activest Wealth Management raised its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 78.5% during the 3rd quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 116 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 51 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Company Profile

Lowe’s Companies, Inc is a leading home improvement retailer that operates large-format stores and digital channels serving both do-it-yourself homeowners and professional contractors. The company offers a broad assortment of products including building materials, lumber, appliances, tools and hardware, plumbing and electrical supplies, paint, flooring, kitchen and bath fixtures, outdoor and garden products, and home decor. Lowe’s also provides a range of services such as installation, home improvement financing, tool and equipment rental, and contractor-focused sales programs.

Operations are centered on a nationwide brick-and-mortar store network supported by distribution centers and an e-commerce platform that enables online ordering, delivery and in-store pickup.