Daiwa Securities Group Inc. Increases Stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 6.6% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 56,263 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after buying an additional 3,466 shares during the quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $12,521,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC grew its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 85.4% in the third quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 152 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Sanctuary Wealth Management L.L.C. purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $42,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 0.3 %

LOW opened at $229.62 on Thursday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $181.85 and a 1-year high of $262.49. The company has a market capitalization of $131.38 billion, a PE ratio of 17.39, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.13. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $239.29 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $218.38.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.77 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $18.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.47 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.94% and a negative return on equity of 51.42%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 17.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.28 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 24th will be paid a $1.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 23rd. This represents a $4.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.92%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.43%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $190.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 28th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $235.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 13th. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $199.00 to $236.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $265.00 to $268.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Finally, Evercore ISI dropped their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $275.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $252.52.

Lowe’s Companies Company 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.