Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Shares Sold by Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P.

Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P. reduced its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 6.7% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 42,760 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 3,076 shares during the quarter. Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $11,582,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Hancock Whitney Corp increased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.8% in the first quarter. Hancock Whitney Corp now owns 5,138 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,309,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 12,754 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $3,249,000 after purchasing an additional 478 shares in the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the 1st quarter valued at $814,000. LRI Investments LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the first quarter valued at about $264,000. Finally, Swedbank AB acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the first quarter worth about $79,366,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Lowe’s Companies

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

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:LOW traded down $1.28 during trading on Thursday, reaching $273.19. 2,263,842 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,452,104. The company has a 50 day moving average of $269.80 and a 200-day moving average of $245.66. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $196.32 and a 12 month high of $287.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $154.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.10.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 23rd were issued a $1.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, October 23rd. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.68%. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 38.37%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LOW has been the topic of several analyst reports. Loop Capital upgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the company from $250.00 to $300.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. DA Davidson upped their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $240.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $275.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $277.92.

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.