Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Shares Sold by Essex Financial Services Inc.

Essex Financial Services Inc. reduced its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.7% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 6,139 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 104 shares during the quarter. Essex Financial Services Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $1,515,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Sapient Capital LLC raised its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Sapient Capital LLC now owns 3,989 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $985,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the period. Pineridge Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 37.1% in the fourth quarter. Pineridge Advisors LLC now owns 554 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $137,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC increased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 45.7% in the fourth quarter. Arlington Trust Co LLC now owns 1,059 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $261,000 after acquiring an additional 332 shares in the last quarter. Equitable Trust Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 15.2% during the 4th quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 12,731 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $3,142,000 after acquiring an additional 1,682 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bristlecone Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 20.6% during the 4th quarter. Bristlecone Advisors LLC now owns 1,463 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $361,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on LOW. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $300.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Truist Financial raised their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $307.00 to $308.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $301.00 to $304.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $305.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.88.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Quonta D. Vance sold 7,198 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at $4,582,802.11. This 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 through this hyperlink. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE LOW opened at $257.09 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $145.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.44, a PEG ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.11. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $256.93 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $258.26. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $211.80 and a 52-week high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

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

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.