DF Dent & Co. Inc. Increases Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

DF Dent & Co. Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 21,622 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 287 shares during the quarter. DF Dent & Co. Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $5,336,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

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

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:LOW opened at $235.25 on Thursday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $211.80 and a fifty-two week high of $287.01. The firm has a market cap of $131.67 billion, a PE ratio of 19.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $243.94 and a 200-day moving average price of $256.94.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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 net margin of 8.19% and a negative return on equity of 47.55%. The business had revenue of $18.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.29 billion. Research analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

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 issued a dividend of $1.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 23rd. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.96%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 37.67%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently commented on LOW. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. StockNews.com lowered Lowe’s Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $296.00 to $269.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 24th. 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 on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $280.35.

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.