Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Shares Sold by Country Trust Bank

Country Trust Bank decreased its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.1% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 122,682 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 1,329 shares during the quarter. Country Trust Bank’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $30,278,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its position in Lowe’s Companies by 3.1% during the second quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 334,326 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $73,706,000 after buying an additional 10,039 shares in the last quarter. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 2nd quarter worth about $67,000. Heritage Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at about $227,000. Prio Wealth Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 5.5% in the 2nd quarter. Prio Wealth Limited Partnership now owns 6,764 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,491,000 after purchasing an additional 350 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund boosted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 69.3% during the 2nd quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 74,500 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $16,424,000 after purchasing an additional 30,500 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of LOW opened at $264.12 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $149.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.03, a PEG ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 1.11. The business’s 50 day moving average is $259.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $257.05. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $211.80 and a 52-week high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 22nd will be paid a dividend of $1.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 22nd. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.74%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.37%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

LOW has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Mizuho increased their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $282.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $301.00 to $304.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and issued a $300.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $280.85.

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.