Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Shares Acquired by Arete Wealth Advisors LLC

Arete Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 15.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 3,664 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 503 shares during the period. Arete Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $904,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter worth $27,000. IFS Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Marshall Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 56.4% in the 4th quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $223.05 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $124.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $242.39 and a 200-day simple moving average of $256.47. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $211.80 and a one year high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $18.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.29 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.19% and a negative return on equity of 47.55%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 23rd will be given a dividend of $1.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 23rd. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.06%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.67%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $305.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $301.00 to $304.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and issued a $300.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Piper Sandler cut their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $296.00 to $269.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $280.35.

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.