London Co. of Virginia Sells 37,079 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

London Co. of Virginia lowered its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 2.7% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 1,320,289 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 37,079 shares during the quarter. Lowe’s Companies comprises approximately 1.8% of London Co. of Virginia’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest position. London Co. of Virginia’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $318,406,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora boosted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 52.5% in the fourth quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. United Financial Planning Group LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Shares of LOW stock opened at $223.88 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $125.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.92, a PEG ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 0.86. 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 $228.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $246.01.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly 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. The company had revenue of $23.08 billion for 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%. Lowe’s Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.92 EPS. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be issued a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 22nd. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. This is an increase from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is presently 40.57%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on LOW. Telsey Advisory Group lowered their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $295.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Craig Hallum raised Lowe’s Companies to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. HSBC lowered their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $220.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $275.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $315.00 to $285.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $264.57.

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.