Alan B Lancz & Associates Inc. Sells 200 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Alan B Lancz & Associates Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 10.5% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 1,706 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 200 shares during the period. Alan B Lancz & Associates Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $421,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Crew Capital Management Ltd. grew its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 1.0% in the third quarter. Crew Capital Management Ltd. now owns 3,873 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,049,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the period. Summit Place Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in Lowe’s Companies by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter. Summit Place Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,375 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $372,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the period. Clean Yield Group raised its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 2.4% during the third quarter. Clean Yield Group now owns 1,599 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $433,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Mitchell Mcleod Pugh & Williams Inc. raised its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 0.5% during the third quarter. Mitchell Mcleod Pugh & Williams Inc. now owns 7,460 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $2,021,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Chapin Davis Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.3% in the third quarter. Chapin Davis Inc. now owns 3,082 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $835,000 after buying an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 0.4 %

LOW opened at $262.35 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $148.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.88, a PEG ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 1.11. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $259.11 and a 200-day moving average price of $255.95. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $209.55 and a twelve month high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 22nd will be issued a dividend of $1.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 22nd. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.75%. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is 38.37%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on LOW shares. DA Davidson upped their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $240.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Bank of America raised their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $275.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. StockNews.com upgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.85.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Quonta D. Vance sold 7,198 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.37, for a total value of $1,974,915.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,703 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,582,802.11. The trade was a 30.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

About Lowe’s Companies

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.