California Public Employees Retirement System Sells 71,566 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

California Public Employees Retirement System cut its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 4.3% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 1,589,184 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 71,566 shares during the quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $375,492,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of LOW. Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora raised its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 52.5% in 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 acquiring an additional 42 shares during the period. Sankala Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. 74.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Lowe’s Companies

In related news, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.90, for a total transaction of $3,139,885.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 39,785 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,828,291.50. This trade represents a 26.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 16,142 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,628,883.02. The trade was a 36.63% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 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

Several brokerages recently commented on LOW. Benchmark began coverage on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. Mizuho cut their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $294.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Raymond James Financial downgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “market perform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Telsey Advisory Group dropped their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $295.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Truist Financial dropped their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $255.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $264.57.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

NYSE LOW opened at $208.57 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $217.04 and its 200-day moving average price is $241.57. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $203.40 and a 52-week high of $293.06. The company has a market cap of $116.95 billion, a PE ratio of 17.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.86.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $23.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.98 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 7.51% and a negative return on equity of 67.96%. Lowe’s Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.92 earnings per share. 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 business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be issued a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 22nd. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 40.57%.

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.