Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW Stock Holdings Increased by Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd.

Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 15.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 91,949 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 12,188 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $23,108,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of LOW. Howard Hughes Medical Institute bought a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Solstein Capital LLC lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 627.8% in the second quarter. Solstein Capital LLC now owns 131 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the period. Traub Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 128.8% in the second quarter. Vermillion & White Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 135 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the period. Finally, Olistico Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the second quarter valued at $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Lowe’s Companies news, CEO Marvin R. Ellison sold 18,000 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $261.17, for a total transaction of $4,701,060.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 231,043 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $60,341,500.31. The trade was a 7.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $296.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $290.00 to $280.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Nineteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $283.65.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

NYSE LOW opened at $266.43 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $206.38 and a 52-week high of $281.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $149.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.09, a P/E/G ratio of 4.47 and a beta of 0.96. The company’s fifty day moving average is $253.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $247.35.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.09. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 55.86% and a net margin of 8.05%.The firm had revenue of $20.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.88 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.89 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 4th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 21st will be issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 21st. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.80%.

Lowe’s Companies Profile

Lowe’s Companies, Inc is a leading home improvement retailer that operates large-format stores and digital channels serving both do-it-yourself homeowners and professional contractors. The company offers a broad assortment of products including building materials, lumber, appliances, tools and hardware, plumbing and electrical supplies, paint, flooring, kitchen and bath fixtures, outdoor and garden products, and home decor. Lowe’s also provides a range of services such as installation, home improvement financing, tool and equipment rental, and contractor-focused sales programs.

Operations are centered on a nationwide brick-and-mortar store network supported by distribution centers and an e-commerce platform that enables online ordering, delivery and in-store pickup.