71 West Capital Partners Takes $686,000 Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

71 West Capital Partners bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 2,846 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $686,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of LOW. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $1,993,697,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in Lowe’s Companies by 102.0% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,204,311 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,056,585,000 after purchasing an additional 2,122,622 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its position in Lowe’s Companies by 207.2% during the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,058,086 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $517,218,000 after purchasing an additional 1,388,133 shares during the last quarter. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. acquired a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $308,683,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Lowe’s Companies by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 56,230,787 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $13,560,617,000 after purchasing an additional 924,625 shares during the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Shares of LOW stock opened at $220.29 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $123.52 billion, a PE ratio of 18.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a 50-day moving average of $228.16 and a two-hundred day moving average of $246.14. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $203.40 and a 1-year high of $293.06.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $23.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.98 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 7.51% and a negative return on equity of 67.96%. Lowe’s Companies’s revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.92 earnings per share. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be paid a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is 40.57%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. BTIG Research cut shares of Lowe’s Companies to a “reduce” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Citigroup upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $285.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Guggenheim raised their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $303.00 to $281.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane cut their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $228.00 to $202.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $264.57.

Lowe’s Companies 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.