Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Shares Acquired by Meeder Advisory Services Inc.

Meeder Advisory Services Inc. boosted its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.0% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 14,739 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 146 shares during the quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $3,638,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,842,954,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $314,435,000. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC lifted its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 24,531.0% in the 4th quarter. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC now owns 1,228,102 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $303,096,000 after buying an additional 1,223,116 shares in the last quarter. Amundi boosted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 60.1% in the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 2,603,305 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $642,730,000 after buying an additional 976,823 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 42,529.8% during the 4th quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 846,202 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $208,843,000 after buying an additional 844,217 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on LOW. BNP Paribas raised Lowe’s Companies to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Evercore ISI raised their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $305.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $292.00 to $285.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $279.71.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Shares of LOW stock opened at $233.72 on Wednesday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $244.40 and a two-hundred day moving average of $257.09. The firm has a market cap of $130.82 billion, a PE ratio of 19.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $211.80 and a 1-year high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.10. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.19% and a negative return on equity of 47.55%. The firm had revenue of $18.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.29 billion. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS 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 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 23rd will be paid a $1.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 23rd. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.97%. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is presently 37.67%.

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.