Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

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

LOW has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Gordon Haskett reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $245.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, April 3rd. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Zelman & Associates reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $265.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Tuesday, April 2nd. Wedbush boosted their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $215.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $238.00 to $262.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Shares of LOW stock opened at $228.76 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies has a 1 year low of $181.85 and a 1 year high of $262.49. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $239.46 and a 200-day moving average price of $218.46. The company has a market cap of $130.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.38, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.13.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 27th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.68 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $18.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.47 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.94% and a negative return on equity of 51.42%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 17.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.28 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies will post 12.21 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 24th will be given a dividend of $1.10 per share. This represents a $4.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.92%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.43%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lowe’s Companies

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Tidemark LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Transcendent Capital Group LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 74.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.