Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Shares Sold by Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc.

Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. cut its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 0.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 222,616 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 902 shares during the period. Lowe’s Companies comprises about 2.8% of Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 13th largest position. Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $56,707,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Morgan Stanley raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 1.1% in the third quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 10,930,693 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $2,271,836,000 after buying an additional 116,855 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at $1,638,746,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,211,131 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $714,637,000 after buying an additional 41,451 shares in the last quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group grew its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 2,851,127 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $634,518,000 after purchasing an additional 52,859 shares during the last quarter. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $430,090,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE LOW traded up $0.19 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $213.75. 2,173,698 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,551,780. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $181.85 and a 1 year high of $262.49. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $224.97 and a 200-day moving average price of $228.40. The firm has a market capitalization of $121.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.12, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.08.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.94 by $0.12. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.46% and a negative return on equity of 48.52%. The company had revenue of $21.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21.14 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.67 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 24th will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 24th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.28%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.34%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LOW has been the topic of several research reports. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $230.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Tuesday, May 21st. Wedbush reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $250.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Zelman & Associates reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $265.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Gordon Haskett reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $245.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, April 3rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 13th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $250.41.

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.