CRA Financial Services LLC Has $597,000 Stock Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

CRA Financial Services LLC increased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 10.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 2,559 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after buying an additional 235 shares during the quarter. CRA Financial Services LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $597,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wood Tarver Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Marshall Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Orion Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, IFS Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 60.0% during the 1st quarter. IFS Advisors LLC now owns 160 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

NYSE:LOW opened at $216.99 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $121.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.92. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $223.77 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $239.88. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $206.39 and a 1 year high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.88 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $20.93 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.09 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 47.55% and a net margin of 8.19%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.06 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 23rd will be given a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 23rd. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.21%. This is an increase from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.15. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.77%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 1,130 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.50, for a total value of $257,075.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 31,898 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,256,795. This trade represents a 3.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have commented on LOW. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $266.00 price objective on Lowe’s Companies and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. DA Davidson reduced their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $240.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $263.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Piper Sandler reduced their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $296.00 to $269.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 24th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $264.00 target price on Lowe’s Companies and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $271.12.

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.