Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Shares Sold by Factory Mutual Insurance Co.

Factory Mutual Insurance Co. reduced its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 135,400 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 2,800 shares during the quarter. Factory Mutual Insurance Co.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $36,673,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Stephens Consulting LLC increased its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 93.3% in the 2nd quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 145 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Keener Financial Planning LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 1st quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Kimelman & Baird LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the second quarter worth approximately $37,000. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $271.45, for a total transaction of $1,555,408.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 13,214 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,586,940.30. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total value of $1,684,262.58. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 9,383 shares in the company, valued at $2,334,678.06. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.45, for a total transaction of $1,555,408.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 13,214 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,586,940.30. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.26% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $240.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, September 19th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $272.00 to $270.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $265.00 to $269.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $266.88.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of LOW traded up $2.55 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $275.76. The stock had a trading volume of 1,303,706 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,464,866. The company has a market cap of $157.14 billion, a PE ratio of 22.15, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.10. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $252.80 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $237.69. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $181.85 and a fifty-two week high of $278.10.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.10 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.96 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $23.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $23.93 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.25% and a negative return on equity of 47.07%. Lowe’s Companies’s quarterly revenue was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.56 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 23rd will be paid a $1.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 23rd. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.67%. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.95%.

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.