GenTrust LLC Sells 472 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

GenTrust LLC trimmed its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 10.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,906 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 472 shares during the period. GenTrust LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $1,058,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. JNBA Financial Advisors increased its position in Lowe’s Companies by 555.6% in the third quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors now owns 118 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 118.6% during the 3rd quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 129 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the period. Stephens Consulting LLC increased its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Kimelman & Baird LLC bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, Tsfg LLC lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 128.2% during the third quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 178 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $264.63 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $150.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.10. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $268.74 and a 200-day moving average price of $244.73. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $196.23 and a one year 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 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.96 by $0.14. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.19% and a negative return on equity of 47.55%. The company had revenue of $23.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.93 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.56 earnings per share. Lowe’s Companies’s quarterly revenue was down 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 23rd were paid a dividend of $1.15 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, October 23rd. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.74%. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is currently 38.37%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on LOW shares. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $307.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. StockNews.com raised Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 18th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $272.00 to $270.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $277.92.

Insider Activity at Lowe’s Companies

In other news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total transaction of $1,684,262.58. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 9,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,334,678.06. This represents a 41.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $271.45, for a total value of $1,555,408.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 13,214 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,586,940.30. The trade was a 30.25 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.