Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW Shares Purchased by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 0.5% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 625,418 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after buying an additional 3,058 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $147,774,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Natixis Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 630,956 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $152,161,000 after purchasing an additional 21,119 shares during the last quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 6.1% in the fourth quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 446,441 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $107,664,000 after purchasing an additional 25,609 shares during the last quarter. Glenview Trust Co boosted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 9.0% in the fourth quarter. Glenview Trust Co now owns 207,797 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $50,112,000 after purchasing an additional 17,225 shares during the last quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 133.9% in the first quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 9,402 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $2,222,000 after purchasing an additional 5,383 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LPL Financial LLC grew its position in Lowe’s Companies by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 993,332 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $239,552,000 after purchasing an additional 22,175 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $209.44 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $217.75 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $242.00. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $203.40 and a fifty-two week high of $293.06. The company has a market cap of $117.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.86.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.06. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 67.96% and a net margin of 7.51%.The firm had revenue of $23.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $22.98 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.92 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be issued a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. This is an increase from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 40.57%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on LOW shares. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $228.00 to $202.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Weiss Ratings downgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Raymond James Financial lowered Lowe’s Companies from a “market perform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. TD Cowen reduced their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $235.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $315.00 to $285.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $264.57.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lowe’s Companies

In other news, EVP Juliette Williams Pryor sold 9,330 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.81, for a total value of $2,097,477.30. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 16,142 shares in the company, valued at $3,628,883.02. The trade was a 36.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.83, for a total value of $559,575.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 20,220 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,525,842.60. The trade was a 11.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 25,980 shares of company stock valued at $5,796,937. Company insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Company 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.