First Fiduciary Investment Counsel Inc. Boosts Stock Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

First Fiduciary Investment Counsel Inc. lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 0.1% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 122,423 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 164 shares during the quarter. Lowe’s Companies makes up approximately 6.0% of First Fiduciary Investment Counsel Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest position. First Fiduciary Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $27,245,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter valued at about $26,000. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC boosted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 85.4% in the third quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 152 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. acquired a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $47,000. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Down 0.0 %

Shares of NYSE LOW opened at $229.87 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $181.85 and a 12-month high of $262.49. The stock has a market cap of $131.53 billion, a PE ratio of 17.47, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a 50-day moving average of $239.98 and a 200 day moving average of $219.70.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 27th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.09. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.94% and a negative return on equity of 51.42%. The company had revenue of $18.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.47 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.28 EPS. Lowe’s Companies’s revenue was down 17.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 24th will be paid a $1.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 23rd. This represents a $4.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.91%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 33.43%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on LOW. Robert W. Baird raised Lowe’s Companies from an “average” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $250.00 price target for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 14th. Barclays raised their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $203.00 to $229.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 4th. Zelman & Associates reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $265.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Wedbush raised their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $215.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $252.52.

Lowe’s Companies 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.