SJS Investment Consulting Inc. Purchases 2,822 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

SJS Investment Consulting Inc. increased its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1,232.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,051 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after buying an additional 2,822 shares during the period. SJS Investment Consulting Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $767,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,773,624,000. Tableaux LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the second quarter valued at approximately $282,884,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 22,167.5% during the second quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,032,319 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $229,041,000 after purchasing an additional 1,027,683 shares during the period. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 243.2% during the 2nd quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC now owns 1,116,945 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $247,817,000 after purchasing an additional 791,526 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 26.3% in the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,358,118 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $523,196,000 after purchasing an additional 491,005 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently commented on LOW. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $252.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Monday. DA Davidson decreased their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $266.00 to $250.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $282.00 to $284.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Seventeen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $276.80.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Down 0.8%

NYSE:LOW opened at $241.17 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $206.38 and a 12 month high of $274.98. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $239.75 and its 200 day moving average is $240.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $135.28 billion, a PE ratio of 20.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 0.96.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $20.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.88 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.05% and a negative return on equity of 55.86%. Lowe’s Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.89 EPS. Research analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 21st will be given a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 21st. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 39.80%.

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.