Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. Sells 11,481 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. lowered its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 3.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 368,171 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 11,481 shares during the quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned about 0.07% of Lowe’s Companies worth $90,865,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on LOW shares. Mizuho reduced their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Wedbush reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $250.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, BNP Paribas upgraded Lowe’s Companies to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $279.71.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 0.1 %

NYSE LOW opened at $232.35 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $246.24 and a 200-day moving average of $257.35. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $211.80 and a 1-year high of $287.01. The firm has a market cap of $130.05 billion, a PE ratio of 19.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.10. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 47.55% and a net margin of 8.19%. The firm had revenue of $18.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.29 billion. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 23rd will be issued a $1.15 dividend. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.98%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.67%.

Lowe’s Companies 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.