Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Shares Sold by Valicenti Advisory Services Inc.

Valicenti Advisory Services Inc. reduced its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 23,157 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 290 shares during the quarter. Lowe’s Companies accounts for approximately 1.6% of Valicenti Advisory Services Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Valicenti Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $6,272,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Stephens Consulting LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 93.3% during the 2nd quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 145 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Keener Financial Planning LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 1st quarter worth about $35,000. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 118.6% during the 3rd 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 in the last quarter. Kimelman & Baird LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 2nd quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, Tsfg LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 128.2% during the 3rd quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 178 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Loop Capital raised shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $250.00 to $300.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $272.00 to $270.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. Bank of America raised 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 note on Friday, October 11th. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $230.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 18th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $270.60.

Insider Activity at Lowe’s Companies

In related news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.45, for a total value of $1,555,408.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 13,214 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,586,940.30. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.45, for a total value of $1,555,408.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 13,214 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,586,940.30. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total transaction of $1,684,262.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 9,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,334,678.06. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.26% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LOW opened at $271.36 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $181.85 and a 1 year high of $287.01. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $259.66 and a 200-day simple moving average of $239.47. The company has a market capitalization of $154.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.80, a P/E/G ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.10.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.96 by $0.14. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.25% and a negative return on equity of 47.07%. The firm had revenue of $23.59 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.93 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.56 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.91 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 23rd will be issued a $1.15 dividend. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.70%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 23rd. This is an increase from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.95%.

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.