Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC Purchases 541 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 0.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 215,442 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after buying an additional 541 shares during the quarter. Lowe’s Companies comprises 1.9% of Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 9th biggest position. Clifford Swan Investment Counsel LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $47,947,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Morgan Stanley increased its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 10,930,693 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $2,271,836,000 after acquiring an additional 116,855 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp grew its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,138,824 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,483,733,000 after purchasing an additional 78,901 shares in the last quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group increased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 189.5% in the third quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 2,798,268 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $581,592,000 after purchasing an additional 1,831,727 shares during the period. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 187,225.6% in the third quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board now owns 2,111,159 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $438,783,000 after purchasing an additional 2,110,032 shares in the last quarter. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $430,090,000. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of LOW stock traded up $2.55 on Friday, hitting $232.13. The company had a trading volume of 1,834,728 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,044,726. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $181.85 and a twelve month high of $262.49. The firm has a market cap of $132.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.64, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.15. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $240.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $221.10.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.77 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.68 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $18.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.47 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.94% and a negative return on equity of 51.42%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 17.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.28 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.21 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 8th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 24th will be issued a $1.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 23rd. This represents a $4.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.90%. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is 33.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on LOW shares. Zelman & Associates restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $265.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Evercore ISI cut their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $275.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 16th. UBS Group raised their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 28th. Wedbush boosted their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $215.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 28th. Finally, Mizuho started coverage on Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Tuesday, March 19th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $280.00 price objective on the stock. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $252.52.

About Lowe’s Companies

Lowe's Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a home improvement retailer in the United States. The company offers a line of products for construction, maintenance, repair, remodeling, and decorating. It also provides home improvement products, such as appliances, seasonal and outdoor living, lawn and garden, lumber, kitchens and bath, tools, paint, millwork, hardware, flooring, rough plumbing, building materials, décor, and electrical.