Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) Stock Sees Unusually High Call Option Buying

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) was the target of unusually large options trading on Thursday. Investors acquired 13,431 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 63% compared to the typical volume of 8,224 call options.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lowe’s Companies

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Juno Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Juno Financial Group LLC now owns 11,889 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $2,809,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the period. TSG Advice Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 3.3% during the first quarter. TSG Advice Partners LLC now owns 1,373 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $324,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Foresight Global Investors Inc. grew its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. Foresight Global Investors Inc. now owns 1,192 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $287,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Ameliora Wealth Management Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 2.5% during the first quarter. Ameliora Wealth Management Ltd. now owns 1,834 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $433,000 after buying an additional 45 shares during the period. Finally, Livet Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 4.9% in the first quarter. Livet Wealth LLC now owns 962 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $227,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. Weiss Ratings cut Lowe’s Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday, August 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $231.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $235.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $255.00 to $245.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $285.00 to $275.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $254.29.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 3.6%

Lowe’s Companies stock traded up $6.79 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $195.09. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,761,803 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,952,051. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $200.41 and its two-hundred day moving average is $215.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $109.46 billion, a PE ratio of 16.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.89. Lowe’s Companies has a 1 year low of $178.45 and a 1 year high of $293.06.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 19th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.40 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.22 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $25.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $26.13 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 7.34% and a negative return on equity of 75.67%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.33 earnings per share. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.250 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies will post 12.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 4th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 21st will be given a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 21st. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 42.27%.

About Lowe’s Companies

Lowe’s Companies, Inc is a home improvement retailer serving homeowners, renters, and professional contractors primarily in the United States. The company operates through a network of retail stores and digital channels, offering products and services for home repair, maintenance, remodeling, construction, and outdoor living.

Its merchandise includes appliances, tools, hardware, lumber, building materials, plumbing and electrical supplies, paint, flooring, kitchen and bath products, lighting, home décor, lawn and garden equipment, and seasonal goods.