Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund Buys 607,046 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 142.4% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,033,232 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after buying an additional 607,046 shares during the period. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $244,132,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 52.5% during the fourth quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Sankala Group LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on LOW. Benchmark initiated coverage on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. Mizuho reduced their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $294.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their price target on 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. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $220.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Truist Financial cut their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $264.57.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 2.7%

Shares of LOW stock opened at $207.35 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $215.22 and a 200-day moving average of $240.22. 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 cap of $116.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.53, a PEG ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.86.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted 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. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 7.51% and a negative return on equity of 67.96%. The company had revenue of $23.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.98 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.92 EPS. Lowe’s Companies’s revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The company 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 $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 22nd. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 42.27%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of the company’s 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 39,785 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,828,291.50. This represents a 26.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of the 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 transaction, 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 25,980 shares of company stock valued at $5,796,937 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

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.