Maryland State Retirement & Pension System Sells 2,084 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Maryland State Retirement & Pension System trimmed its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 6.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 30,939 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 2,084 shares during the period. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $7,636,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. IFS Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter valued at $27,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 56.4% in the fourth quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the period. Marshall Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $45,000. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Down 1.3 %

LOW stock opened at $222.96 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $125.89 billion, a PE ratio of 18.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $211.80 and a 12 month high of $287.01. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $249.24 and a 200 day moving average price of $258.30.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.10. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 47.55% and a net margin of 8.19%. The business had revenue of $18.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.29 billion. Sell-side analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LOW has been the topic of a number of research reports. Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $290.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $301.00 to $304.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Wedbush reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $250.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $305.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, Mizuho reduced their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $280.83.

Lowe’s Companies Company Profile

Lowe’s Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a home improvement retailer in the United States. The company offers a line of products for construction, maintenance, repair, remodeling, and decorating. It also provides home improvement products, such as appliances, seasonal and outdoor living, lawn and garden, lumber, kitchens and bath, tools, paint, millwork, hardware, flooring, rough plumbing, building materials, décor, and electrical.