Bfsg LLC Makes New Investment in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Bfsg LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor purchased 346 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $77,000.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Morgan Stanley increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 10,930,693 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $2,271,836,000 after purchasing an additional 116,855 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 1.1% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,138,824 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,483,733,000 after acquiring an additional 78,901 shares during the last quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 189.5% in the third quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 2,798,268 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $581,592,000 after acquiring an additional 1,831,727 shares during the last quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board raised its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 187,225.6% during the third quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board now owns 2,111,159 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $438,783,000 after buying an additional 2,110,032 shares during the last quarter. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $430,090,000. 74.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 0.6 %

LOW stock opened at $231.29 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $181.85 and a 1 year high of $262.49. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $239.92 and a 200 day simple moving average of $219.50. The firm has a market cap of $132.34 billion, a PE ratio of 17.47, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.13.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.77 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.68 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $18.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.47 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.94% and a negative return on equity of 51.42%. The business’s revenue was down 17.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.28 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 8th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 24th will be given a dividend of $1.10 per share. This represents a $4.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.90%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 33.43%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently commented on LOW. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $265.00 to $268.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $238.00 to $262.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $235.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 13th. Finally, Gordon Haskett reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $245.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Wednesday, April 3rd. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $252.52.

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.