The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Cuts Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company trimmed its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 14.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,280,202 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 214,048 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company owned about 0.23% of Lowe’s Companies worth $302,486,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in LOW. Natixis Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 630,956 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $152,161,000 after acquiring an additional 21,119 shares during the last quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 6.1% in the 4th quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 446,441 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $107,664,000 after buying an additional 25,609 shares during the period. Glenview Trust Co boosted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 9.0% in the fourth quarter. Glenview Trust Co now owns 207,797 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $50,112,000 after acquiring an additional 17,225 shares during the last quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 133.9% in the first quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 9,402 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $2,222,000 after acquiring an additional 5,383 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LPL Financial LLC grew its position in Lowe’s Companies by 2.3% during the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 993,332 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $239,552,000 after acquiring an additional 22,175 shares during the period. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Lowe’s Companies

In related news, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.90, for a total transaction of $3,139,885.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 39,785 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,828,291.50. This trade represents a 26.24% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.83, for a total transaction of $559,575.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 20,220 shares in the company, valued at $4,525,842.60. This trade represents a 11.00% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 25,980 shares of company stock valued at $5,796,937. Corporate insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Bank of America cut their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $257.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $293.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $275.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Truist Financial cut their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $278.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $264.57.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $211.49 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $215.08 and its 200 day moving average price is $239.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $118.58 billion, a PE ratio of 17.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.86. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $199.40 and a one year high of $293.06.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.06. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 7.51% and a negative return on equity of 67.96%. The company had revenue of $23.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.98 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.92 earnings per share. Lowe’s Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be paid a $1.25 dividend. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 22nd. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is currently 42.27%.

Lowe’s Companies Company Profile

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.