Plato Investment Management Ltd Purchases 220 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Plato Investment Management Ltd raised its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 3.5% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 6,524 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 220 shares during the quarter. Plato Investment Management Ltd’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $1,438,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Tidemark LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Stephens Consulting LLC grew its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 93.3% in the 2nd quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 145 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Keener Financial Planning LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 1st quarter worth about $35,000. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE LOW opened at $255.41 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $240.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $234.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $144.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.51, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.10. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $181.85 and a 52-week high of $262.49.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.96 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $23.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $23.93 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 47.07% and a net margin of 8.25%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.56 EPS. Analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 23rd will be given a dividend of $1.15 per share. This is an increase from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 23rd. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.80%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.95%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently commented on LOW. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $230.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Tuesday, August 20th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $280.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $245.00 to $238.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Wedbush restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $250.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Twelve analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $252.83.

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.