Garrison Bradford & Associates Inc. Lowers Stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Garrison Bradford & Associates Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.9% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 10,303 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 202 shares during the period. Lowe’s Companies accounts for 2.7% of Garrison Bradford & Associates Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest position. Garrison Bradford & Associates Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $2,543,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter valued at approximately $61,000. Equitable Trust Co. grew its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.7% during the third quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 11,049 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $2,993,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $3,501,000. Holistic Planning LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $271,000. Finally, Applied Finance Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 387.7% in the 3rd quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC now owns 811,374 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $219,761,000 after buying an additional 645,017 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $242.84 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $137.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.25, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $211.80 and a one year high of $287.01. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $251.90 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $259.14.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LOW has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com raised Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $301.00 to $304.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Mizuho decreased their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Barclays increased their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $229.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Bank of America cut their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $290.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.83.

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.