Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Stock Holdings Raised by Leavell Investment Management Inc.

Leavell Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.4% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 19,870 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after buying an additional 265 shares during the quarter. Leavell Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $4,904,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. IFS Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 56.4% during the fourth quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the period. JNBA Financial Advisors lifted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MFA Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 118.6% in the third 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. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Quonta D. Vance sold 7,198 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.37, for a total transaction of $1,974,915.26. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,703 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,582,802.11. This represents a 30.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE LOW opened at $257.09 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $256.93 and a two-hundred day moving average of $258.26. The company has a market capitalization of $145.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.44, a PEG ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.11. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $211.80 and a twelve month high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 22nd were issued a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.79%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, January 22nd. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is 38.37%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Evercore ISI increased their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Mizuho raised their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $282.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $229.00 to $245.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $301.00 to $304.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, DA Davidson boosted 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. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $280.88.

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.