Strs Ohio Sells 7,402 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Strs Ohio cut its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 4.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 171,605 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 7,402 shares during the quarter. Strs Ohio’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $40,547,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Swiss RE Ltd. bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora lifted its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 52.5% during the 4th quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. United Financial Planning Group LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Sankala Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Down 0.1%

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $227.26 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $221.70 and a 200-day moving average price of $243.78. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $203.40 and a twelve month high of $293.06. The company has a market capitalization of $127.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.21, a P/E/G ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.86.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted 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 company had revenue of $23.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.98 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.92 EPS. Lowe’s Companies’s revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be paid a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 22nd. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 42.27%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LOW has been the subject of several analyst reports. KeyCorp lowered their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $275.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $320.00 to $270.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Raymond James Financial cut shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “market perform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 12th. TD Cowen cut their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $235.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $292.00 to $277.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $264.57.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lowe’s Companies

In other 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 owned 16,142 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,628,883.02. This represents a 36.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.90, for a total value of $3,139,885.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 39,785 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,828,291.50. This trade represents a 26.24% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 25,980 shares of company stock worth $5,796,937 over the last ninety days. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Lowe’s Companies 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.