Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW Shares Sold by JLB & Associates Inc.

JLB & Associates Inc. cut its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 84.9% in the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,414 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 13,555 shares during the quarter. JLB & Associates Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $532,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of LOW. Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Sankala Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.81, for a total transaction of $2,097,477.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 16,142 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,628,883.02. This represents a 36.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction dated 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 in the company, valued at approximately $4,525,842.60. This trade represents a 11.00% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 25,980 shares of company stock worth $5,796,937. Company insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Key Lowe’s Companies News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Investors are looking for Lowe’s Pro customer growth, online sales momentum and expansion in home services to support results. The company’s Total Home strategy is also viewed as a longer-term value-creation opportunity. Is Lowe’s a Buy Ahead of Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street expects revenue growth to accelerate materially from the prior-year period, while largely steady analyst estimates suggest relatively firm confidence in Lowe’s near-term operating outlook. Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating. Expected Revenue Acceleration and Steady Forecasts
• Neutral Sentiment: The earnings release is expected to produce a sizable share-price move, with investors focused on comparable-store sales, gross margins, earnings guidance and management’s view of housing-related demand. Expected Earnings Moves for Home Depot and Lowe’s
• Neutral Sentiment: Lowe’s reports alongside other major retailers, including Target and recently Home Depot, giving investors a broader read on U.S. consumer spending and the home-improvement market. Target or Lowe’s Ahead of Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Weak do-it-yourself demand, cautious consumers and limited housing activity could offset strength in Pro sales, digital channels and services. Higher costs may also pressure margins, making the earnings beat-and-guidance combination especially important. Lowe’s Earnings Preview
• Negative Sentiment: The shares remain well below their 52-week high and below their longer-term moving average, reflecting investor concern that Lowe’s may remain dependent on a delayed housing recovery. Comparisons with Home Depot, which is viewed as having steadier estimates, add competitive pressure. Lowe’s Q2 Earnings Preview

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $215.94 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $121.08 billion, a PE ratio of 18.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.86. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $216.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of $233.78. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $199.40 and a 12 month high of $293.06.

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 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 analyst estimates of $22.98 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.92 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 22nd were issued a $1.25 dividend. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 22nd. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is presently 42.27%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Citigroup reduced their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $285.00 to $267.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 13th. Weiss Ratings lowered Lowe’s Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $275.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $255.00 to $245.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $303.00 to $281.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $262.63.

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.