Gradient Investments LLC Has $30.68 Million Stock Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Gradient Investments LLC reduced its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.7% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 139,128 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 2,472 shares during the period. Gradient Investments LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $30,676,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. Swiss RE Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 52.5% during 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 during the period. Sankala Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter worth $34,000. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $223.03 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $125.05 billion, a PE ratio of 18.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.86. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $199.40 and a 52 week high of $293.06. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $214.99 and a 200-day moving average price of $236.85.

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. The company had revenue of $23.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.98 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 67.96% and a net margin of 7.51%.Lowe’s Companies’s quarterly revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.92 earnings per share. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.46 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd were paid a dividend of $1.25 per share. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 22nd. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 42.27%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on LOW. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $292.00 to $277.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. BTIG Research cut shares of Lowe’s Companies to a “reduce” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. KeyCorp reduced their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $275.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, TD Cowen decreased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $235.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $263.67.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of Lowe’s Companies 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 16,142 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,628,883.02. The trade was a 36.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,525,842.60. The trade was a 11.00% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 25,980 shares of company stock valued at $5,796,937 in the last three months. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.