Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) Price Target Raised to $257.00 at Royal Bank Of Canada

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) had its price target increased by investment analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada from $252.00 to $257.00 in a report issued on Monday, MarketBeat.com reports. The brokerage currently has a “sector perform” rating on the home improvement retailer’s stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s target price would indicate a potential downside of 7.05% from the stock’s previous close.

LOW has been the subject of a number of other reports. Wolfe Research reduced their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $285.00 to $284.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $325.00 to $316.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Barclays upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $285.00 price objective for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Gordon Haskett lifted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $310.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $284.00 to $313.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Twenty investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $289.59.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Down 1.4%

Lowe’s Companies stock traded down $3.88 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $276.49. The company had a trading volume of 159,442 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,765,898. Lowe’s Companies has a 12 month low of $206.38 and a 12 month high of $293.06. The company has a market capitalization of $155.09 billion, a PE ratio of 22.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.37 and a beta of 0.97. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $264.63 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $253.65.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lowe’s Companies

In other news, CEO Marvin R. Ellison sold 18,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.17, for a total value of $4,701,060.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 231,043 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $60,341,500.31. This trade represents a 7.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.27% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lowe’s Companies

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Swiss RE Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Activest Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 78.5% during the third quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 116 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. Howard Hughes Medical Institute bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, United Financial Planning Group LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.