Benedict Financial Advisors Inc. Sells 284 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Benedict Financial Advisors Inc. decreased its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 11,363 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 284 shares during the period. Benedict Financial Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $3,078,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of LOW. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 1st quarter worth approximately $239,000. Register Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the first quarter valued at $62,000. Kathmere Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 4.6% during the first quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 1,447 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $369,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the period. Grimes & Company Inc. boosted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. Grimes & Company Inc. now owns 7,313 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,863,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Bank & Trust increased its position in Lowe’s Companies by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. First Bank & Trust now owns 1,509 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $384,000 after buying an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Shares of Lowe’s Companies stock traded down $3.72 on Friday, reaching $267.64. 1,788,117 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,447,013. The firm has a market capitalization of $151.83 billion, a PE ratio of 22.19, a PEG ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a 50 day moving average of $260.81 and a 200 day moving average of $239.87. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $181.85 and a 52 week high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.96 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $23.59 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.93 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 47.07% and a net margin of 8.25%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $4.56 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 23rd will be given a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.72%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 23rd. This is a positive change from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 38.14%.

Insider Transactions at Lowe’s Companies

In related news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.45, for a total value of $1,555,408.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 13,214 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,586,940.30. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total value of $1,684,262.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 9,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,334,678.06. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $271.45, for a total transaction of $1,555,408.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 13,214 shares in the company, valued at $3,586,940.30. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Melius Research initiated coverage on Lowe’s Companies in a report on Monday, September 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $290.00 price objective for the company. Gordon Haskett lowered their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $245.00 to $240.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $230.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $269.00 to $306.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 14th. Finally, Wedbush reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $270.60.

About Lowe’s Companies

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.