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

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-eight analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and eighteen have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $277.52.

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Monday, December 29th. HSBC dropped their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $285.00 to $263.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 21st. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $295.00 to $290.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Mizuho cut their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $285.00 to $272.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 20th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lowe’s Companies

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,773,624,000. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 102.0% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,204,311 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,056,585,000 after buying an additional 2,122,622 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 207.2% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,058,086 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $517,218,000 after buying an additional 1,388,133 shares in the last quarter. Tableaux LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at $282,884,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 22,167.5% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,032,319 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $229,041,000 after buying an additional 1,027,683 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Shares of LOW stock opened at $267.38 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $240.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $242.70. Lowe’s Companies has a one year low of $206.38 and a one year high of $274.98. The firm has a market cap of $149.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.17, a P/E/G ratio of 4.43 and a beta of 0.96.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $20.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.88 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 55.86% and a net margin of 8.05%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.89 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 21st will be issued a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 21st. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is currently 39.80%.

Lowe’s Companies Company Profile

Lowe’s Companies, Inc is a leading home improvement retailer that operates large-format stores and digital channels serving both do-it-yourself homeowners and professional contractors. The company offers a broad assortment of products including building materials, lumber, appliances, tools and hardware, plumbing and electrical supplies, paint, flooring, kitchen and bath fixtures, outdoor and garden products, and home decor. Lowe’s also provides a range of services such as installation, home improvement financing, tool and equipment rental, and contractor-focused sales programs.

Operations are centered on a nationwide brick-and-mortar store network supported by distribution centers and an e-commerce platform that enables online ordering, delivery and in-store pickup.