Beaumont Asset Management L.L.C. Trims Stock Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Beaumont Asset Management L.L.C. reduced its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 4.6% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 2,545 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 123 shares during the period. Beaumont Asset Management L.L.C.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $566,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC raised its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 85.4% in the 3rd quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 152 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the period. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at about $40,000. Finally, McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $47,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

LOW traded up $3.43 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $233.56. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,091,055 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,518,914. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $181.85 and a 52-week high of $262.49. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $239.65 and its 200-day moving average price is $219.11. The company has a market capitalization of $133.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.13.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.77 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $18.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.47 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 51.42% and a net margin of 8.94%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 17.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.28 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 8th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 24th will be given a dividend of $1.10 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 23rd. This represents a $4.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.88%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 33.43%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on LOW. Gordon Haskett reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $245.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, April 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $190.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $265.00 to $268.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $230.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $252.52.

About Lowe’s Companies

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.