Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Shares Sold by M&G Plc

M&G Plc lowered its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.1% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 937,889 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 10,010 shares during the period. Lowe’s Companies comprises about 1.3% of M&G Plc’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. M&G Plc owned about 0.16% of Lowe’s Companies worth $254,168,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Stephens Consulting LLC lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 93.3% in the second quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 145 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 555.6% in the third quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors now owns 118 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 118.6% in the third quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 129 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Kimelman & Baird LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the second quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, Tsfg LLC lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 128.2% in the third quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 178 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Down 2.8 %

Shares of NYSE:LOW opened at $261.66 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $148.44 billion, a PE ratio of 21.70, a P/E/G ratio of 2.18 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 has a fifty day moving average price of $263.77 and a 200 day moving average price of $241.67.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 revenue for the quarter was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.56 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 23rd were issued a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.76%. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, October 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 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 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 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 9,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,334,678.06. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 13,214 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,586,940.30. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $272.00 to $270.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on Lowe’s Companies in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $323.00 price target on the stock. Melius Research initiated coverage on Lowe’s Companies in a report on Monday, September 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $290.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $245.00 to $238.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $272.20.

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.