Bailard Inc. Sells 1,098 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Bailard Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 15.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,040 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 1,098 shares during the period. Bailard Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $1,344,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Morgan Stanley increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 1.1% in the third quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 10,930,693 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $2,271,836,000 after buying an additional 116,855 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp increased its position in Lowe’s Companies by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 7,138,824 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,483,733,000 after purchasing an additional 78,901 shares in the last quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 189.5% during the third quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 2,798,268 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $581,592,000 after purchasing an additional 1,831,727 shares during the last quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 187,225.6% in the third quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board now owns 2,111,159 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $438,783,000 after purchasing an additional 2,110,032 shares during the period. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter valued at $430,090,000. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:LOW traded up $1.44 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $231.40. 372,513 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,486,716. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $181.85 and a twelve month high of $262.49. The firm has a market cap of $132.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.58, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.13. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $239.92 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $219.50.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 51.42% and a net margin of 8.94%. The firm had revenue of $18.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.47 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.28 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down 17.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 8th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 24th will be issued a $1.10 dividend. This represents a $4.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.90%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is 33.43%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on LOW. Telsey Advisory Group reissued 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. Mizuho began coverage on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Tuesday, March 19th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $280.00 price objective on the stock. Robert W. Baird raised Lowe’s Companies from an “average” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $250.00 target price for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 14th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 28th. Finally, Wedbush upped their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $215.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $252.52.

Lowe’s Companies Company 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.