Kestra Advisory Services LLC Acquires 3,963 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Kestra Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 6.5% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 65,131 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after buying an additional 3,963 shares during the quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $16,591,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Tidemark LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Keener Financial Planning LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 1st quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, Transcendent Capital Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $31,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 1.7 %

Shares of LOW stock traded up $4.10 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $238.87. 1,942,530 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,878,763. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $223.92 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $229.47. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $181.85 and a 12-month high of $262.49. The stock has a market cap of $136.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.19, a PEG ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.08.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.94 by $0.12. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 48.52% and a net margin of 8.46%. The business had revenue of $21.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21.14 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.67 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 24th will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 24th. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.95%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have commented on LOW. Evercore ISI cut their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $225.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Wedbush restated a “neutral” rating and set a $250.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Citigroup reduced their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $243.00 to $240.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, May 7th. Zelman & Associates reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $265.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $246.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $250.04.

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.