Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Shares Sold by Armor Investment Advisors LLC

Armor Investment Advisors LLC cut its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 32.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,820 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 5,092 shares during the quarter. Lowe’s Companies comprises about 1.2% of Armor Investment Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest position. Armor Investment Advisors LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $2,931,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in LOW. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 5.2% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 53,693,630 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $13,677,378,000 after purchasing an additional 2,674,372 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc grew its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 1.6% in the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 5,205,491 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,147,603,000 after acquiring an additional 82,978 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 1,889.7% during the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 2,134,969 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $578,256,000 after acquiring an additional 2,027,668 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its position in Lowe’s Companies by 36.6% during the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,840,704 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $468,884,000 after acquiring an additional 493,180 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 6.0% in the second quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,617,849 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $356,671,000 after purchasing an additional 90,945 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $264.57 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $150.09 billion, a PE ratio of 22.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.10. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $189.05 and a 1 year high of $287.01. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $263.51 and its 200-day simple moving average is $241.53.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.96 by $0.14. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.25% and a negative return on equity of 47.07%. The firm had revenue of $23.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.93 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $4.56 earnings per share. Lowe’s Companies’s quarterly revenue was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict 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 announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 23rd will be paid a dividend of $1.15 per share. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 23rd. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.74%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 38.14%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lowe’s Companies

In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $271.45, for a total value of $1,555,408.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 13,214 shares in the company, valued at $3,586,940.30. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total value of $1,684,262.58. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 9,383 shares in the company, valued at $2,334,678.06. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 13,214 shares in the company, valued at $3,586,940.30. The trade was 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 corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on LOW. TD Cowen boosted their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on Lowe’s Companies in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $323.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group lifted their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $272.00 to $270.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 18th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $271.60.

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.