Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW Shares Purchased by Hartford Funds Management Co LLC

Hartford Funds Management Co LLC raised its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 36.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 13,329 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,538 shares during the period. Lowe’s Companies comprises approximately 0.3% of Hartford Funds Management Co LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest holding. Hartford Funds Management Co LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $3,150,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of LOW. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 56,230,787 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $13,560,617,000 after buying an additional 924,625 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 25,036,276 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $6,291,867,000 after acquiring an additional 124,501 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 7.1% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 13,326,581 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $3,201,329,000 after acquiring an additional 887,579 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $1,993,697,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 6,830,080 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,716,467,000 after acquiring an additional 103,827 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, 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 transaction of $3,139,885.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 39,785 shares in the company, valued at $8,828,291.50. This trade represents a 26.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.83, for a total value of $559,575.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 20,220 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,525,842.60. This represents a 11.00% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 25,980 shares of company stock valued at $5,796,937 in the last quarter. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $207.73 on Tuesday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $203.40 and a 12-month high of $293.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $116.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.86. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $218.57 and its two-hundred day moving average is $242.49.

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

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be paid a dividend of $1.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 40.57%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have issued reports on LOW. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $320.00 to $270.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $315.00 to $285.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. BTIG Research downgraded Lowe’s Companies to a “reduce” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $220.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane reduced their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $228.00 to $202.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $264.57.

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.