United Super Pty Ltd in its capacity as Trustee for the Construction & Building Unions Superannuation Fund Acquires New Shares in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

United Super Pty Ltd in its capacity as Trustee for the Construction & Building Unions Superannuation Fund bought a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 3,200 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $790,000.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in Lowe’s Companies by 4.0% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 649,601 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $175,944,000 after acquiring an additional 24,812 shares during the last quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 288.6% during the fourth quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC now owns 19,028 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $4,696,000 after buying an additional 14,132 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 362,209 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $98,104,000 after purchasing an additional 4,435 shares during the last quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV boosted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 19,830 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $4,894,000 after acquiring an additional 501 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Great Lakes Advisors LLC increased its position in Lowe’s Companies by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC now owns 472,838 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $116,696,000 after purchasing an additional 7,187 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Shares of LOW opened at $230.61 on Wednesday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $211.80 and a 12 month high of $287.01. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $247.26 and a 200 day moving average price of $257.71. The company has a market cap of $130.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.23, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $18.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.29 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.19% and a negative return on equity of 47.55%. As a group, research analysts anticipate 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. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 23rd will be paid a dividend of $1.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 23rd. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.99%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 37.67%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on LOW. BNP Paribas raised Lowe’s Companies to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Wedbush reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $250.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $305.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $279.71.

Lowe’s Companies Profile

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.