Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW Shares Acquired by Swiss National Bank

Swiss National Bank increased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 7.1% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,646,320 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after buying an additional 109,520 shares during the quarter. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $388,992,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. World Equity Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 17.1% during the first quarter. World Equity Group Inc. now owns 1,093 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $258,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Spartan Wealth Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the first quarter valued at $231,000. Arjuna Capital raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 1.0% in the first quarter. Arjuna Capital now owns 11,775 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $2,782,000 after buying an additional 112 shares in the last quarter. Ascent Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. Ascent Wealth Partners LLC now owns 5,566 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,315,000 after buying an additional 245 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Paces Ferry Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 18.3% during the 1st quarter. Paces Ferry Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,518 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $359,000 after buying an additional 235 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of LOW stock opened at $208.57 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $217.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $241.57. The firm has a market cap of $116.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.63, a PEG ratio of 2.64 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 posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $23.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.98 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 67.96% and a net margin of 7.51%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.92 EPS. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be given a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. This is a positive change from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 40.57%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LOW has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Evercore dropped their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $230.00 in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $320.00 to $270.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $264.00 to $232.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Gordon Haskett dropped their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $250.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Bank of America cut their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $257.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $264.57.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lowe’s Companies

In other news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.83, for a total transaction of $559,575.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,220 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,525,842.60. This trade represents a 11.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 17th. The shares were 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. The trade was a 36.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 25,980 shares of company stock worth $5,796,937. 0.29% of the stock is owned by 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.