Bessemer Group Inc. Has $202.99 Million Stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Bessemer Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.9% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 859,125 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after buying an additional 15,638 shares during the quarter. Bessemer Group Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $202,994,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Swiss RE Ltd. bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora increased its position in Lowe’s Companies by 52.5% in the 4th quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the period. Sankala Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 3.0%

NYSE:LOW opened at $216.00 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $203.40 and a 12-month high of $293.06. The firm has a market capitalization of $121.11 billion, a PE ratio of 18.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.86. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $217.45 and a 200 day moving average price of $241.80.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 7.51% and a negative return on equity of 67.96%. The firm had revenue of $23.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.98 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.92 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be paid a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. This is a positive change from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is presently 40.57%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. BTIG Research lowered shares of Lowe’s Companies to a “reduce” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $276.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. HSBC dropped their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $220.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Mizuho cut their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $294.00 to $280.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Oppenheimer reduced their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $315.00 to $275.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Twenty-three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $264.57.

Insider Activity at Lowe’s Companies

In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.81, for a total transaction of $2,097,477.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 16,142 shares in the company, valued at $3,628,883.02. This represents a 36.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $221.90, for a total value of $3,139,885.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 39,785 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,828,291.50. The trade was a 26.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 25,980 shares of company stock valued at $5,796,937 in the last 90 days. 0.29% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.