Ameritas Advisory Services LLC Trims Stock Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Ameritas Advisory Services LLC decreased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 3.1% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 8,609 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 280 shares during the period. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $2,125,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of LOW. Crew Capital Management Ltd. increased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Crew Capital Management Ltd. now owns 3,873 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,049,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Summit Place Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 2.8% during the third quarter. Summit Place Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,375 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $372,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Clean Yield Group increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 2.4% in the third quarter. Clean Yield Group now owns 1,599 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $433,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Mitchell Mcleod Pugh & Williams Inc. raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 0.5% in the third quarter. Mitchell Mcleod Pugh & Williams Inc. now owns 7,460 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $2,021,000 after buying an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Chapin Davis Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Chapin Davis Inc. now owns 3,082 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $835,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Melius Research started coverage on Lowe’s Companies in a report on Monday, September 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $290.00 price target for the company. DA Davidson upped their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $240.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $275.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $301.00 to $304.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Loop Capital upgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $250.00 to $300.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $280.85.

Insider Activity at Lowe’s Companies

In related news, EVP Quonta D. Vance sold 7,198 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.37, for a total transaction of $1,974,915.26. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 16,703 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,582,802.11. This trade represents a 30.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.26% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE LOW opened at $261.39 on Tuesday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $209.55 and a 52 week high of $287.01. The stock has a market cap of $147.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.80, a PEG ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 1.11. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $260.10 and its 200 day moving average price is $254.89.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 22nd will be given a dividend of $1.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 22nd. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.76%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 38.37%.

Lowe’s Companies Profile

Lowe’s Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a home improvement retailer in the United States. The company offers a line of products for construction, maintenance, repair, remodeling, and decorating. It also provides home improvement products, such as appliances, seasonal and outdoor living, lawn and garden, lumber, kitchens and bath, tools, paint, millwork, hardware, flooring, rough plumbing, building materials, décor, and electrical.