Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. Cuts Stock Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lowered its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 28,545 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 411 shares during the period. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $7,045,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. IFS Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter valued at $27,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 56.4% during the 4th quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. Marshall Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. 74.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. BNP Paribas raised shares of Lowe’s Companies to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $292.00 to $285.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, Bank of America decreased their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $290.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $279.71.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

NYSE:LOW opened at $228.20 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $127.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $245.57 and its 200 day moving average price is $257.31. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $211.80 and a 1-year high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $18.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.29 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.19% and a negative return on equity of 47.55%. As a group, analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 23rd will be paid a $1.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 23rd. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.02%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.67%.

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.