Westpac Banking Corp Sells 33,117 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Westpac Banking Corp cut its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 89.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,862 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 33,117 shares during the quarter. Westpac Banking Corp’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $931,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in LOW. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora grew 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 valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the period. United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Finally, Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Lowe’s Companies

Here are the key news stories impacting Lowe’s Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its Q1 2028 EPS estimate for Lowe’s, suggesting confidence in near-term earnings momentum. Lowe’s Companies stock page
• Positive Sentiment: The firm also increased its Q1 2029 EPS forecast, along with a slightly higher Q3 2027 estimate and maintained FY2028/FY2029 earnings expectations at relatively strong levels, signaling longer-term confidence in Lowe’s profit potential. Lowe’s Companies stock page
• Neutral Sentiment: Separately, Lowe’s shareholders affirmed board and pay practices at the annual meeting, which is unlikely to move the stock much on its own. Lowe’s shareholders affirm board, pay practices at annual meeting
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research trimmed several other estimates, including Q2 2027, Q4 2027, Q2 2028, Q4 2028, FY2027, FY2028 and FY2029, which points to some caution on Lowe’s longer-term earnings trajectory. Lowe’s Companies stock page

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $325.00 to $279.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $257.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Gordon Haskett lowered their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $250.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $228.00 to $202.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $293.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $264.57.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

LOW stock opened at $207.79 on Thursday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $203.40 and a one year high of $293.06. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $231.16 and its 200-day moving average price is $246.89. The company has a market capitalization of $116.51 billion, a PE ratio of 17.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.86.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $23.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.98 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.92 earnings per share. The company’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. On average, research analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be given a $1.25 dividend. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 22nd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.57%.

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.