Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW Shares Sold by Bessemer Group Inc.

Bessemer Group Inc. decreased its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 98.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 23,034 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 1,658,364 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $5,110,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Solstein Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 627.8% in the 2nd quarter. Solstein Capital LLC now owns 131 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Fairway Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 1st quarter valued at $32,000. Olistico Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. TruNorth Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 1st quarter valued at $38,000. Finally, JNBA Financial Advisors boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 147.1% in the 1st quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors now owns 168 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $238.30 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $133.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.58, a PEG ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.88. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $206.38 and a one year high of $280.64. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $253.88 and a two-hundred day moving average of $236.15.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.33 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.24 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $23.96 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.99 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.20% and a negative return on equity of 52.02%. Lowe’s Companies’s quarterly revenue was up 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $4.10 EPS. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 12.200-12.450 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 22nd will be given a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 22nd. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 39.44%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Joseph Michael Mcfarland sold 43,810 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $272.60, for a total transaction of $11,942,606.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 66,566 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,145,891.60. This represents a 39.69% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Marvin R. Ellison sold 40,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $264.10, for a total transaction of $10,564,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 249,043 shares in the company, valued at approximately $65,772,256.30. This trade represents a 13.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 92,931 shares of company stock worth $24,945,752 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on LOW shares. Piper Sandler upped their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $269.00 to $294.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 21st. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $240.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, August 18th. KeyCorp upped their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $266.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 21st. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $300.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Thursday, August 21st. Finally, Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Wednesday, September 17th. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $282.59.

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.