Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Stake Lifted by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 4.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 649,601 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 24,812 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $175,944,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JNBA Financial Advisors raised its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 555.6% in the 3rd quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors now owns 118 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Lowe’s Companies by 118.6% in the third quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 129 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC lifted 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. Kimelman & Baird LLC bought a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, Tsfg LLC grew its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 128.2% in the 3rd quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 178 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Lowe’s Companies

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

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

LOW opened at $266.30 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $263.77 and a 200-day moving average of $241.67. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $189.05 and a fifty-two week high of $287.01. The company has a market capitalization of $151.07 billion, a PE ratio of 22.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.10.

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

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 23rd were issued a dividend of $1.15 per share. This is a positive change from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, October 23rd. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.73%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 38.14%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on LOW shares. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. UBS Group raised their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. Wedbush reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $250.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $323.00 price target for the company. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $275.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $272.24.

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.