State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D Sells 4,029 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D decreased its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 2.1% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 192,055 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 4,029 shares during the period. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $46,316,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Activest Wealth Management raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 78.5% in the third quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 116 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. United Financial Planning Group LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora increased its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 52.5% in the 4th quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Guerra Advisors Inc bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter valued at $35,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 0.9%

NYSE:LOW opened at $235.50 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $246.18 and its 200 day simple moving average is $249.89. The stock has a market cap of $131.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.27 and a beta of 0.97. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $210.33 and a twelve month high of $293.06.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.98 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $20.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.34 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 61.40% and a net margin of 7.71%.The business’s revenue was up 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.93 EPS. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.75 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 22nd will be given a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 22nd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 40.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on LOW shares. Argus upped their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $286.00 to $288.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Citigroup boosted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Wolfe Research decreased their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $285.00 to $284.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, 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. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $289.10.

Lowe’s Companies Company Profile

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.