DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale Decreases Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale trimmed its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 4.8% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 209,252 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 10,616 shares during the quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $52,723,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Tidemark LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Keener Financial Planning LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the first quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Transcendent Capital Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. 74.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Down 0.4 %

Lowe’s Companies stock traded down $0.94 during trading on Friday, reaching $240.42. The stock had a trading volume of 2,258,921 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,483,161. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $181.85 and a 52-week high of $262.49. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $225.93 and a 200 day moving average price of $230.17. The stock has a market cap of $137.00 billion, a PE ratio of 19.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.07.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 the consensus estimate of $21.14 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.67 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.23 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 24th will be paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 24th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.25%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.95%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Evercore ISI decreased their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $225.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 13th. DA Davidson reduced their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $240.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 22nd. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Wedbush reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $250.04.

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.