Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) have received a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the twenty-six research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $252.52.

LOW has been the topic of several research reports. Wedbush raised their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $215.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 28th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Piper Sandler raised their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $218.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 16th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $240.00 to $225.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 16th. Finally, Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $203.00 to $229.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 4th.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

LOW opened at $233.69 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $239.82 and a 200-day moving average price of $219.35. The firm has a market cap of $133.72 billion, a PE ratio of 17.76, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.13. Lowe’s Companies has a 1 year low of $181.85 and a 1 year high of $262.49.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.09. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.94% and a negative return on equity of 51.42%. The business had revenue of $18.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.47 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.28 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 17.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies will post 12.21 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 8th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 24th will be paid a dividend of $1.10 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 23rd. This represents a $4.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.88%. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is currently 33.43%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lowe’s Companies

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC grew its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 33.7% in the 3rd quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 3,345 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $695,000 after acquiring an additional 843 shares in the last quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 14.9% during the third quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 50,544 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $10,505,000 after purchasing an additional 6,564 shares in the last quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 2.3% during the third quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC now owns 6,796 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,412,000 after buying an additional 156 shares during the period. RVW Wealth LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter worth approximately $45,000. Finally, BCS Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter worth $429,000. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

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.