Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW Shares Sold by Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH cut its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 2.3% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 708,376 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 16,982 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $171,123,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Activest Wealth Management increased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 78.5% during the third quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 116 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. United Financial Planning Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora increased 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 acquiring an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Guerra Advisors Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter valued at about $35,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of LOW stock opened at $251.28 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $140.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.50 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $251.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $249.77. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $210.33 and a fifty-two week high of $293.06.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.94 by $0.04. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 7.71% and a negative return on equity of 61.40%. The company had revenue of $20.59 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.34 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.93 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.75 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.61 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 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 22nd will be paid a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 22nd. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is currently 40.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on LOW. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $313.00 to $303.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $305.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Guggenheim lifted their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $283.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Twenty-two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $289.24.

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.