International Assets Investment Management LLC Invests $1.61 Million in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 7,031 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,608,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 119.7% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 31,965 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $7,889,000 after buying an additional 17,413 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 31.6% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,078 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $266,000 after acquiring an additional 259 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 22.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,534 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $340,000 after acquiring an additional 280 shares during the period. TD Private Client Wealth LLC grew its position in Lowe’s Companies by 7.8% in the second quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 5,100 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,132,000 after acquiring an additional 368 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Perigon Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Lowe’s Companies by 8.2% in the second quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,012 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $890,000 after acquiring an additional 303 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LOW has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Wolfe Research dropped their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $308.00 to $285.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Telsey Advisory Group cut their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $285.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $325.00 to $316.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Nineteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $283.65.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Marvin R. Ellison sold 18,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.17, for a total transaction of $4,701,060.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 231,043 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $60,341,500.31. This represents a 7.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

LOW opened at $276.46 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $206.38 and a 12-month high of $281.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $155.08 billion, a PE ratio of 22.92, a P/E/G ratio of 4.59 and a beta of 0.96. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $249.28 and its 200 day moving average price is $246.21.

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

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 21st will be paid a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 21st. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 39.80%.

About Lowe’s Companies

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.