Louisiana State Employees Retirement System Sells 1,600 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System decreased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 5.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 30,500 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 1,600 shares during the period. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $7,527,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. StoneX Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at $2,713,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its position in Lowe’s Companies by 4.0% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 649,601 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $175,944,000 after buying an additional 24,812 shares in the last quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 288.6% in the fourth quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC now owns 19,028 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $4,696,000 after buying an additional 14,132 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 362,209 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $98,104,000 after acquiring an additional 4,435 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 308.0% during the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 28,315 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $6,988,000 after acquiring an additional 21,375 shares during the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LOW has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $307.00 to $308.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $229.00 to $245.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $305.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $300.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $280.88.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

LOW opened at $257.09 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $256.93 and a 200 day moving average price of $258.26. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $211.80 and a 1 year high of $287.01. The stock has a market cap of $145.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.44, a P/E/G ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.11.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 22nd were given a $1.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, January 22nd. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.79%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 38.37%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Quonta D. Vance sold 7,198 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.37, for a total value of $1,974,915.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 16,703 shares in the company, valued at $4,582,802.11. The trade was a 30.12 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Company 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.