RPG Investment Advisory LLC Trims Stock Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

RPG Investment Advisory LLC lessened its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 27,846 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 316 shares during the quarter. RPG Investment Advisory LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $6,285,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of LOW. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,461,267,000. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 107,710.7% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,080,039 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,012,147,000 after acquiring an additional 5,075,327 shares during the period. Providence Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 19,964.5% in the 1st quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 4,520,122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $22,604,000 after acquiring an additional 4,497,594 shares during the last quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 450.8% in the 1st quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 2,556,364 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $511,196,000 after acquiring an additional 2,092,245 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 21.3% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 11,690,606 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $2,329,237,000 after acquiring an additional 2,050,089 shares during the period. 71.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Janice Dupre sold 5,380 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $231.28, for a total value of $1,244,286.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 24,216 shares in the company, valued at $5,600,676.48. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Janice Dupre sold 5,380 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $231.28, for a total value of $1,244,286.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 24,216 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,600,676.48. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Joseph Michael Mcfarland sold 4,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $222.53, for a total transaction of $1,001,385.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 46,594 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,368,562.82. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 0.3 %

NYSE:LOW traded up $0.61 on Monday, hitting $204.31. The stock had a trading volume of 676,362 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,784,481. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $201.92 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $213.29. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $181.85 and a 1-year high of $237.21. The stock has a market cap of $117.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.05, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.07.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 22nd. The home improvement retailer reported $4.56 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.49 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $24.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.97 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 58.56% and a net margin of 6.48%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $4.67 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 13.31 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 24th will be given a $1.10 dividend. This represents a $4.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.15%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 43.31%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on LOW shares. Evercore ISI decreased their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $240.00 to $235.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, September 8th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $240.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $252.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 22nd. Loop Capital decreased their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $225.00 to $210.00 in a report on Thursday, October 12th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada began coverage on Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Tuesday, November 7th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $194.00 price objective on the stock. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $242.32.

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.