Norges Bank Takes $1.99 Billion Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Norges Bank bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 8,267,112 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,993,697,000. Norges Bank owned about 1.47% of Lowe’s Companies at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Bridges Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 13.4% in the 3rd quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 420,832 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $105,759,000 after acquiring an additional 49,858 shares during the period. Glenview Trust Co raised its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 9.0% in the 4th quarter. Glenview Trust Co now owns 207,797 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $50,112,000 after acquiring an additional 17,225 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 134.3% in the 3rd quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 56,252 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $14,137,000 after acquiring an additional 32,240 shares during the period. CX Institutional raised its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 17.7% in the 4th quarter. CX Institutional now owns 31,380 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $7,568,000 after acquiring an additional 4,711 shares during the period. Finally, Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 119.7% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 31,965 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $7,889,000 after acquiring an additional 17,413 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Down 1.6%

NYSE LOW opened at $214.45 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $208.00 and a 12-month high of $293.06. The company has a market capitalization of $120.11 billion, a PE ratio of 18.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.91. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $232.49 and its 200-day moving average is $247.36.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.06. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 7.51% and a negative return on equity of 67.96%. The company had revenue of $23.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.98 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.92 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.5 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be paid a $1.25 dividend. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 40.57%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on LOW shares. HSBC cut their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $220.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Guggenheim raised their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. KGI Securities initiated coverage on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $255.00 target price on the stock. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $264.57.

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.