Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Has $311.66 Million Stock Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lowered its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 2.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,319,033 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 38,905 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned 0.24% of Lowe’s Companies worth $311,661,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Swiss RE Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter worth $31,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora increased its position in Lowe’s Companies by 52.5% during the fourth quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the period. Finally, Sankala Group LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $212.81 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $220.18 and a 200 day simple moving average of $243.14. The company has a market capitalization of $119.32 billion, a PE ratio of 17.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.86. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $203.40 and a one year high of $293.06.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.06. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 67.96% and a net margin of 7.51%.The firm had revenue of $23.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.98 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.92 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be issued a dividend of $1.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. This is an increase from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is 40.57%.

Insider Activity at Lowe’s Companies

In other news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.83, for a total transaction of $559,575.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 20,220 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,525,842.60. This trade represents a 11.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.90, for a total transaction of $3,139,885.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 39,785 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,828,291.50. The trade was a 26.24% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 25,980 shares of company stock valued at $5,796,937 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on LOW. Raymond James Financial downgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “market perform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Craig Hallum upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $293.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Benchmark started coverage on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. They issued a “hold” rating for the company. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $220.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $264.57.

Lowe’s Companies 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.