Trek Financial LLC Makes New $882,000 Investment in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Trek Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm acquired 3,573 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $882,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $1,842,954,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $314,435,000. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC boosted 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 worth $303,096,000 after purchasing an additional 1,223,116 shares in the last quarter. Amundi increased its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 60.1% during the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 2,603,305 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $642,730,000 after purchasing an additional 976,823 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 42,529.8% in the fourth 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 during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE LOW opened at $223.05 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $124.84 billion, a PE ratio of 18.60, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.07. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $211.80 and a one year high of $287.01. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $242.39 and a 200 day moving average of $256.46.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.29 billion. On average, equities analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 23rd will be issued a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.06%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 37.67%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on LOW. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $305.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Wedbush reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $250.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Thursday, December 12th. 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. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.35.

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.