UBS Group Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) Stock Price

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) had its price target reduced by UBS Group from $285.00 to $275.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the home improvement retailer’s stock. UBS Group’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 26.07% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on LOW. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $245.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $255.00 to $245.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Oppenheimer cut their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $315.00 to $275.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 18th. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their price target on shares of 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, Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $303.00 to $281.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $260.30.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of NYSE:LOW traded down $1.86 on Thursday, reaching $218.14. The company had a trading volume of 1,704,625 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,874,849. The firm has a market capitalization of $122.31 billion, a PE ratio of 18.44, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.86. Lowe’s Companies has a 52-week low of $199.40 and a 52-week high of $293.06. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $216.21 and its 200-day simple moving average is $233.46.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 19th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.22 by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $25.96 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $26.13 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 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $4.33 earnings per share. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.250 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies will post 12.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.81, for a total transaction of $2,097,477.30. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 16,142 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,628,883.02. The trade was a 36.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.83, for a total value of $559,575.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 20,220 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,525,842.60. This trade represents a 11.00% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 25,980 shares of company stock worth $5,796,937. Insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lowe’s Companies

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Quantitative Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the second quarter worth about $1,081,000. Sigma Planning Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.4% during the 2nd quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 20,982 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $4,626,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. grew its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 8.9% in the second quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 85,200 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $18,789,000 after purchasing an additional 6,967 shares in the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the second quarter valued at approximately $3,971,000. Finally, Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. lifted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 4.3% during the second quarter. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. now owns 3,012 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $664,000 after buying an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Lowe’s Companies

Here are the key news stories impacting Lowe’s Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted second-quarter EPS was $4.40, above the $4.22 consensus estimate, while revenue increased 8.3% year over year to $25.96 billion. Gross-margin performance and disciplined promotions also supported profitability. Lowe’s second-quarter results
• Positive Sentiment: Growth in Lowe’s professional-customer business, digital sales and home-services initiatives provides some offsets to consumer weakness. Several analysts remain constructive: KeyCorp reaffirmed an Overweight rating with a $275 target, while Mizuho maintained Outperform with a $250 target despite reducing its price objective. Lowe’s earnings call takeaways
• Neutral Sentiment: TD Cowen reiterated Hold with a $235 price target, and RBC maintained Sector Perform with a $231 target. These targets imply potential upside but reflect limited conviction about a near-term recovery. The company also received an approximately $80 million tariff refund, which will not be used for price reductions, making it more supportive of earnings and cash flow than customer demand.
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed expectations and comparable sales rose only 0.2%, below the roughly 0.8% anticipated by analysts. Management cited persistent pressure in discretionary do-it-yourself spending, elevated mortgage rates and weak housing activity, particularly for larger renovation projects.
• Negative Sentiment: Lowe’s narrowed fiscal 2026 guidance to approximately $92 billion in sales and $12.25 adjusted EPS, the low end of its prior range and below consensus estimates of about $93.3 billion in revenue and $12.88 EPS. The outlook implies continued softness through the second half and was the main reason the stock declined despite the quarterly EPS beat. Lowe’s muted outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts have noted that Lowe’s is losing ground to Home Depot, whose comparable-sales performance has improved more sharply. Increased put-option activity also signals heightened short-term hedging, although it is not a direct indicator of future fundamentals.

About Lowe’s Companies

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.