United Asset Strategies Inc. Acquires 1,001 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

United Asset Strategies Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 17.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,669 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,001 shares during the period. United Asset Strategies Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $1,484,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Orion Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 85.4% during the 3rd quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 152 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Sanctuary Wealth Management L.L.C. purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at $40,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and set a $270.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $238.00 to $262.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $235.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $230.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, March 27th. Finally, Zelman & Associates reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $265.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Tuesday, April 2nd. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $252.52.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $228.31 on Wednesday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $181.85 and a 1-year high of $262.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $130.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.13. The company’s 50-day moving average is $239.15 and its 200 day moving average is $218.31.

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 analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.68 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $18.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.47 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.94% and a negative return on equity of 51.42%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 17.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.28 EPS. Research analysts anticipate 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 will be paid on Wednesday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 24th will be given a dividend of $1.10 per share. This represents a $4.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.93%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.43%.

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.