Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW Shares Sold by JLB & Associates Inc.

JLB & Associates Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 84.9% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 2,414 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 13,555 shares during the period. JLB & Associates Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $532,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Sankala Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $36,000. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently weighed in on LOW. Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $294.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Evercore cut their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $230.00 in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $220.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $278.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $232.00 to $231.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $262.63.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Shares of LOW stock opened at $215.94 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $121.08 billion, a PE ratio of 18.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.86. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $216.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $233.78. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $199.40 and a 12 month high of $293.06.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $23.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.98 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 67.96% and a net margin of 7.51%.The company’s revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.92 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.43 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd were given a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 22nd. This is an increase from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.3%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 42.27%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lowe’s Companies

In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.90, for a total transaction of $3,139,885.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 39,785 shares in the company, valued at $8,828,291.50. This trade represents a 26.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.83, for a total transaction of $559,575.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 20,220 shares in the company, valued at $4,525,842.60. This trade represents a 11.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 25,980 shares of company stock valued at $5,796,937 over the last 90 days. 0.29% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Lowe’s Companies

Here are the key news stories impacting Lowe’s Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Investors are looking for Lowe’s Pro customer growth, online sales momentum and expansion in home services to support results. The company’s Total Home strategy is also viewed as a longer-term value-creation opportunity. Is Lowe’s a Buy Ahead of Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street expects revenue growth to accelerate materially from the prior-year period, while largely steady analyst estimates suggest relatively firm confidence in Lowe’s near-term operating outlook. Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating. Expected Revenue Acceleration and Steady Forecasts
• Neutral Sentiment: The earnings release is expected to produce a sizable share-price move, with investors focused on comparable-store sales, gross margins, earnings guidance and management’s view of housing-related demand. Expected Earnings Moves for Home Depot and Lowe’s
• Neutral Sentiment: Lowe’s reports alongside other major retailers, including Target and recently Home Depot, giving investors a broader read on U.S. consumer spending and the home-improvement market. Target or Lowe’s Ahead of Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Weak do-it-yourself demand, cautious consumers and limited housing activity could offset strength in Pro sales, digital channels and services. Higher costs may also pressure margins, making the earnings beat-and-guidance combination especially important. Lowe’s Earnings Preview
• Negative Sentiment: The shares remain well below their 52-week high and below their longer-term moving average, reflecting investor concern that Lowe’s may remain dependent on a delayed housing recovery. Comparisons with Home Depot, which is viewed as having steadier estimates, add competitive pressure. Lowe’s Q2 Earnings Preview

Lowe’s Companies 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.