Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. Grows Stock Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. boosted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 101.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,244,941 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 626,829 shares during the period. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $312,866,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 54,976,355 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $12,197,604,000 after purchasing an additional 366,977 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 24,911,775 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $5,527,176,000 after purchasing an additional 207,826 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 0.3% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 12,351,783 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $2,732,049,000 after buying an additional 42,190 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the second quarter valued at about $1,773,624,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 1.0% in the second quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,536,122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $784,559,000 after buying an additional 34,382 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Down 0.9%

NYSE:LOW opened at $244.73 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $239.85 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $241.83. The company has a market cap of $137.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.09 and a beta of 0.96. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $206.38 and a 52 week high of $274.98.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.09. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 55.86% and a net margin of 8.05%.The business had revenue of $20.81 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.88 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.89 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 21st will be given a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 21st. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is currently 39.80%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on LOW shares. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $280.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Wall Street Zen raised Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $252.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $276.80.

About Lowe’s Companies

Lowe’s Companies, Inc is a leading home improvement retailer that operates large-format stores and digital channels serving both do-it-yourself homeowners and professional contractors. The company offers a broad assortment of products including building materials, lumber, appliances, tools and hardware, plumbing and electrical supplies, paint, flooring, kitchen and bath fixtures, outdoor and garden products, and home decor. Lowe’s also provides a range of services such as installation, home improvement financing, tool and equipment rental, and contractor-focused sales programs.

Operations are centered on a nationwide brick-and-mortar store network supported by distribution centers and an e-commerce platform that enables online ordering, delivery and in-store pickup.