London Co. of Virginia Reduces Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

London Co. of Virginia decreased its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 6.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,239,707 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 80,582 shares during the quarter. Lowe’s Companies makes up 1.8% of London Co. of Virginia’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. London Co. of Virginia owned 0.22% of Lowe’s Companies worth $292,923,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 1.7% in the 4th 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 period. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.5% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 25,036,276 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $6,291,867,000 after buying an additional 124,501 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 7.1% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 13,326,581 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $3,201,329,000 after buying an additional 887,579 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth $1,993,697,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.5% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 6,830,080 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,716,467,000 after buying an additional 103,827 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on LOW. HSBC dropped their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $220.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. William Blair assumed coverage on Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $293.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Citigroup raised Lowe’s Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $285.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $264.57.

Insider Transactions at Lowe’s Companies

In other news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.83, for a total value of $559,575.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 20,220 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,525,842.60. This trade represents a 11.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.90, for a total transaction of $3,139,885.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 39,785 shares in the company, valued at $8,828,291.50. This represents a 26.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 25,980 shares of company stock valued at $5,796,937. Company insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 2.7%

Shares of NYSE:LOW opened at $207.35 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $116.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.53, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.86. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $199.40 and a 12 month high of $293.06. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $215.22 and its 200 day moving average is $240.22.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $23.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.98 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 67.96% and a net margin of 7.51%.Lowe’s Companies’s quarterly revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.92 EPS. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be given a $1.25 dividend. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 42.27%.

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.