Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) Stock Price Expected to Rise, The Goldman Sachs Group Analyst Says

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) had its price target lifted by research analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from $280.00 to $283.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the home improvement retailer’s stock. The Goldman Sachs Group’s price objective points to a potential downside of 1.52% from the company’s current price.

LOW has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $296.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Argus decreased their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $286.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $295.00 to $290.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $252.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $285.00 to $272.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $286.30.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Shares of LOW opened at $287.36 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies has a one year low of $206.38 and a one year high of $293.06. The company has a market cap of $161.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.83, a P/E/G ratio of 4.45 and a beta of 0.97. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $261.04 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $251.58.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.09. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 55.86% and a net margin of 8.05%.The firm had revenue of $20.81 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.88 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.89 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Lowe’s Companies

In other news, CEO Marvin R. Ellison sold 18,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.17, for a total transaction of $4,701,060.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 231,043 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $60,341,500.31. This trade represents a 7.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Lowe’s Companies

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of LOW. Swiss RE Ltd. bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Activest Wealth Management grew its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 78.5% during the 3rd quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 116 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 51 shares during the period. Howard Hughes Medical Institute bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, United Financial Planning Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe’s Companies Company Profile

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.