Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV Sells 4,031 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV cut its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 26.1% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 11,430 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 4,031 shares during the quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $2,701,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Swiss RE Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora lifted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 52.5% in the 4th quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sankala Group LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Down 0.0%

NYSE LOW opened at $222.10 on Monday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $227.02 and a 200-day moving average price of $245.52. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $203.40 and a 52 week high of $293.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $124.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.77, a PEG ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 0.87.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.06. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 7.51% and a negative return on equity of 67.96%. The company had revenue of $23.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $22.98 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.92 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly 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. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be given a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. This is a positive change from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is presently 40.57%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.81, for a total value of $2,097,477.30. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 16,142 shares in the company, valued at $3,628,883.02. This represents a 36.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.90, for a total value of $3,139,885.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 39,785 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,828,291.50. This represents a 26.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LOW has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $220.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 18th. Raymond James Financial downgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “market perform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $275.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $255.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock 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.