WoodTrust Financial Corp Grows Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

WoodTrust Financial Corp raised its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 30.4% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 8,575 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after buying an additional 2,000 shares during the period. WoodTrust Financial Corp’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $2,322,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Baugh & Associates LLC lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Baugh & Associates LLC now owns 35,910 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $9,512,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares in the last quarter. Graypoint LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. Graypoint LLC now owns 21,274 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $5,762,000 after acquiring an additional 564 shares during the period. Wealth Architects LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 3rd quarter worth about $203,000. Blake Schutter Theil Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 3rd quarter worth about $661,000. Finally, D.B. Root & Company LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 3rd quarter worth about $210,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Down 2.8 %

Shares of Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $261.66 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $148.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.70, a PEG ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.10. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $263.77 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $241.67. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $189.05 and a 12-month high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.96 by $0.14. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 47.07% and a net margin of 8.25%. The company had revenue of $23.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $23.93 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.56 earnings per share. Lowe’s Companies’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 23rd were given a $1.15 dividend. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.76%. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, October 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 38.14%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total value of $1,684,262.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 9,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,334,678.06. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $271.45, for a total transaction of $1,555,408.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 13,214 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,586,940.30. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total value of $1,684,262.58. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 9,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,334,678.06. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.26% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently commented on LOW shares. Piper Sandler raised their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $262.00 to $307.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, September 30th. Wedbush restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $250.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Melius Research started coverage on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Monday, September 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $290.00 price target on the stock. Oppenheimer upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price target for the company from $230.00 to $305.00 in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group increased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $230.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $272.20.

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.