Annex Advisory Services LLC Increases Stock Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Annex Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 48.7% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 2,123 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 695 shares during the quarter. Annex Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $524,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. FMR LLC boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 10.2% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 26,010,730 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $7,045,006,000 after buying an additional 2,399,897 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 25,013,655 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $6,774,948,000 after purchasing an additional 460,851 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 11,733,461 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $3,169,041,000 after purchasing an additional 187,473 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its position in shares of 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 worth $1,147,603,000 after purchasing an additional 82,978 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,369,052 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $912,508,000 after purchasing an additional 39,953 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE LOW opened at $261.39 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $260.10 and a 200 day moving average of $254.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $147.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 1.11. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $209.55 and a 12-month high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 22nd will be issued a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.76%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 22nd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 38.37%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lowe’s Companies

In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Quonta D. Vance sold 7,198 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the executive vice president now owns 16,703 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,582,802.11. The trade was a 30.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $282.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $300.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $291.00 to $292.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $275.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 11th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $280.85.

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.