GSB Wealth Management LLC Trims Stock Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

GSB Wealth Management LLC trimmed its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 17.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 1,025 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 210 shares during the period. GSB Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $278,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. Stephens Consulting LLC raised its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 93.3% in the 2nd quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 145 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the period. Keener Financial Planning LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the first quarter worth $35,000. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 118.6% during the third quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 129 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the period. Kimelman & Baird LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the second quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Tsfg LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 128.2% in the 3rd quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 178 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total value of $1,684,262.58. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 9,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,334,678.06. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.45, for a total value of $1,555,408.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 13,214 shares in the company, valued at $3,586,940.30. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total transaction of $1,684,262.58. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 9,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,334,678.06. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of LOW stock opened at $261.54 on Thursday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $187.77 and a 1 year high of $287.01. The firm has a market cap of $149.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.01, a PEG ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.10. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $262.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is $240.45.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.10 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.96 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $23.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.93 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 47.07% and a net margin of 8.25%. The firm’s revenue was down 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $4.56 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.91 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 23rd will be paid a dividend of $1.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 23rd. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.76%. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.95%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LOW has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Telsey Advisory Group raised their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $230.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Loop Capital raised shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $250.00 to $300.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Gordon Haskett dropped their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $245.00 to $240.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $272.00 to $270.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $271.60.

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.