StockNews.com Upgrades Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) to “Buy”

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

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on LOW. Evercore ISI increased their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. DA Davidson increased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $240.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $282.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $229.00 to $245.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.85.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $261.39 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $260.29 and a 200 day simple moving average of $253.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $147.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.80, a PEG ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 1.11. Lowe’s Companies has a 52 week low of $209.55 and a 52 week high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 22nd will be paid a $1.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 22nd. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.76%. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is 38.37%.

Insider Transactions at Lowe’s Companies

In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Quonta D. Vance sold 7,198 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.37, for a total value of $1,974,915.26. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 16,703 shares in the company, valued at $4,582,802.11. The trade was a 30.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.26% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. IFS Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. JNBA Financial Advisors increased its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 555.6% during the third 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. Winch Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 56.4% in the 4th quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MFA Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 118.6% during the 3rd quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 129 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

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.