Trust Co. of Vermont Invests $24.74 Million in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Trust Co. of Vermont bought a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund bought 112,190 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $24,737,000. Lowe’s Companies comprises 0.9% of Trust Co. of Vermont’s portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 7,969 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,959,000 after purchasing an additional 36 shares during the period. Rather & Kittrell Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Rather & Kittrell Inc. now owns 10,379 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $2,503,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the period. First Command Advisory Services Inc. raised its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 2,947 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $711,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Smithbridge Asset Management Inc. DE lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Smithbridge Asset Management Inc. DE now owns 3,723 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $898,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. Finally, Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 6,140 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,481,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Down 1.3%

NYSE:LOW opened at $215.67 on Tuesday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $199.40 and a 12-month high of $293.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $120.93 billion, a PE ratio of 18.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.86. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $216.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $234.16.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $23.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.98 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 7.51% and a negative return on equity of 67.96%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.92 earnings per share. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.43 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 22nd were given a dividend of $1.25 per share. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 22nd. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 42.27%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.81, for a total value of $2,097,477.30. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 16,142 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,628,883.02. The trade was a 36.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.90, for a total value of $3,139,885.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 39,785 shares in the company, valued at $8,828,291.50. This trade represents a 26.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 25,980 shares of company stock worth $5,796,937 in the last 90 days. 0.29% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LOW has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. KeyCorp decreased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $275.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $220.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 18th. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. BNP Paribas Exane decreased their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $228.00 to $202.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Evercore cut their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $230.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $262.63.

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.