EP Wealth Advisors LLC Boosts Stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

EP Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 73,314 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,161 shares during the quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $18,094,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of LOW. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 4.0% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 649,601 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $175,944,000 after buying an additional 24,812 shares during the period. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 288.6% in the 4th quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC now owns 19,028 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $4,696,000 after acquiring an additional 14,132 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 362,209 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $98,104,000 after acquiring an additional 4,435 shares during the period. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 19,830 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $4,894,000 after acquiring an additional 501 shares in the last quarter. Finally, World Investment Advisors boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 11.0% during the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 26,329 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $6,498,000 after purchasing an additional 2,615 shares during the period. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Shares of LOW opened at $222.98 on Wednesday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $226.53 and a two-hundred day moving average of $248.06. The stock has a market cap of $124.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.60, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.00. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $206.39 and a one year high of $287.01.

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

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 23rd will be paid a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.06%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 37.67%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LOW has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. DA Davidson reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $270.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. KeyCorp upgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $266.00 target price for the company in a research note on Friday, April 25th. StockNews.com upgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. Mizuho dropped their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $263.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $277.92.

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.