Chesley Taft & Associates LLC Decreases Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Chesley Taft & Associates LLC lowered its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 2.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 19,502 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 446 shares during the quarter. Chesley Taft & Associates LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $4,813,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. FMR LLC grew its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 10.2% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 26,010,730 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $7,045,006,000 after acquiring an additional 2,399,897 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 1.9% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 25,013,655 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $6,774,948,000 after purchasing an additional 460,851 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 1.6% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 11,733,461 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $3,169,041,000 after purchasing an additional 187,473 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc grew its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 1.6% during the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 5,205,491 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,147,603,000 after purchasing an additional 82,978 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in Lowe’s Companies by 1.2% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,369,052 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $912,508,000 after buying an additional 39,953 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Quonta D. Vance sold 7,198 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.37, for a total value of $1,974,915.26. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 16,703 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,582,802.11. The trade was a 30.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of LOW opened at $261.39 on Tuesday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $209.55 and a fifty-two week high of $287.01. The firm has a market cap of $147.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.80, a PEG ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 1.11. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $259.83 and a 200-day moving average price of $255.23.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 22nd will be given a dividend of $1.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 22nd. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.76%. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is 38.37%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Melius Research started coverage on Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Monday, September 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $290.00 price target for the company. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $229.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $301.00 to $304.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Loop Capital upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $250.00 to $300.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $280.85.

Lowe’s Companies 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.