Louisiana State Employees Retirement System Takes $6.76 Million Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 28,600 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $6,758,000.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. United Financial Planning Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the third quarter valued at about $31,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora grew its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 52.5% during the fourth quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sankala Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of LOW opened at $222.04 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $224.70 and its 200-day moving average price is $244.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $124.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.77, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.86. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $203.40 and a 1-year high of $293.06.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.92 earnings per share. Lowe’s Companies’s revenue 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, research analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 EPS 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 given a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. This is an increase from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 40.57%.

Insider Activity

In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.83, for a total value of $559,575.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 20,220 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,525,842.60. This represents a 11.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.81, for a total value of $2,097,477.30. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 16,142 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,628,883.02. This represents a 36.63% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 25,980 shares of company stock worth $5,796,937 in the last quarter. 0.29% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently weighed in on LOW. Wolfe Research set a $254.00 target price on Lowe’s Companies in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Citigroup raised shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $285.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $278.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Gordon Haskett lowered their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $250.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $264.57.

Lowe’s Companies 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.