Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Shares Sold by Schroder Investment Management Group

Schroder Investment Management Group trimmed its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 28.3% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 1,961,308 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 775,144 shares during the period. Schroder Investment Management Group’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $484,051,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in LOW. BlueChip Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 30.1% in the fourth quarter. BlueChip Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 985 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $243,000 after purchasing an additional 228 shares in the last quarter. Allianz SE acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at $9,153,000. Cambridge Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $7,780,000. Intrust Bank NA grew its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Intrust Bank NA now owns 8,996 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $2,220,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allstate Corp bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $4,147,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of LOW opened at $228.20 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $245.57 and a 200-day simple moving average of $257.31. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $211.80 and a 52 week high of $287.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $127.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.03, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.10. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.19% and a negative return on equity of 47.55%. The company had revenue of $18.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.29 billion. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 23rd will be issued a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is 37.67%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LOW has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $305.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $290.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, BNP Paribas raised shares of Lowe’s Companies to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $279.71.

About Lowe’s Companies

Lowe’s Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a home improvement retailer in the United States. The company offers a line of products for construction, maintenance, repair, remodeling, and decorating. It also provides home improvement products, such as appliances, seasonal and outdoor living, lawn and garden, lumber, kitchens and bath, tools, paint, millwork, hardware, flooring, rough plumbing, building materials, décor, and electrical.