US Asset Management LLC Invests $287,000 in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

US Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm purchased 1,290 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $287,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of LOW. Private Management Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 4.0% during the fourth quarter. Private Management Group Inc. now owns 1,205 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $268,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. raised its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 2,590 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $576,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the last quarter. Hamilton Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 2.1% in the third quarter. Hamilton Capital LLC now owns 2,439 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $507,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Abundance Wealth Counselors boosted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Abundance Wealth Counselors now owns 6,671 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,485,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. Finally, YHB Investment Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. YHB Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 9,013 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $2,006,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

NYSE LOW traded up $4.13 during trading on Thursday, reaching $236.20. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,651,555 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,436,139. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $239.86 and a 200 day moving average of $221.76. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $181.85 and a one year high of $262.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $135.15 billion, a PE ratio of 17.95, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.15.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 27th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.77 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.09. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.94% and a negative return on equity of 51.42%. The company had revenue of $18.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.47 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.28 earnings per share. Lowe’s Companies’s revenue for the quarter was down 17.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.21 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 8th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 24th were given a $1.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 23rd. This represents a $4.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.86%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.43%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LOW has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Evercore ISI cut their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $275.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 16th. Zelman & Associates reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $265.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Tuesday, April 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $235.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th. Robert W. Baird raised Lowe’s Companies from an “average” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $250.00 price target for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $238.00 to $262.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $252.67.

Lowe’s Companies Profile

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.