Russell Investments Group Ltd. Cuts Stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. decreased its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 557,646 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 10,723 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $137,623,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. IFS Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter worth $27,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 56.4% in the fourth quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the period. Marshall Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. 74.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $223.05 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $124.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.60, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $211.80 and a 1 year high of $287.01. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $242.39 and its 200-day moving average is $256.47.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.10. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 47.55% and a net margin of 8.19%. The firm had revenue of $18.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.29 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 23rd will be issued a $1.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 23rd. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.06%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 37.67%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently weighed in on LOW. Truist Financial lowered their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $308.00 to $295.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $305.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $296.00 to $269.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 24th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Lowe’s Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.35.

About Lowe’s Companies

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.