Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Shares Acquired by Van Strum & Towne Inc.

Van Strum & Towne Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 54.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,540 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 900 shares during the period. Van Strum & Towne Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $627,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter valued at $27,000. IFS Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Marshall Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 56.4% during the fourth quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. Finally, Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter valued at $45,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

NYSE:LOW opened at $224.64 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $126.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.74, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12. The company’s 50-day moving average is $250.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $258.49. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $211.80 and a 1-year high of $287.01.

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 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 firm had revenue of $18.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.29 billion. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently issued reports on LOW. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $229.00 to $245.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Mizuho cut their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 27th. BNP Paribas raised shares of Lowe’s Companies to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Wedbush reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $250.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $280.83.

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.