Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) Lifted to Buy at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Friday morning.

Several other research firms have also commented on LOW. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Monday, May 13th. Wedbush reissued a neutral rating and issued a $250.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $243.00 to $240.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 7th. Truist Financial cut their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $271.00 to $265.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 22nd. Finally, Evercore ISI dropped their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $225.00 and set an in-line rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $250.04.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $240.42 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $225.93 and a 200 day moving average of $230.32. Lowe’s Companies has a 52 week low of $181.85 and a 52 week high of $262.49. The company has a market cap of $137.00 billion, a PE ratio of 19.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.07.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.94 by $0.12. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.46% and a negative return on equity of 48.52%. The firm had revenue of $21.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $21.14 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.67 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies will post 12.23 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 24th will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 24th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.25%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 36.95%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lowe’s Companies

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Tidemark LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Stephens Consulting LLC increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 93.3% in the 2nd quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 145 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

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.