Rakuten Investment Management Inc. Buys 71,428 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 3,042.1% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 73,776 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 71,428 shares during the quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $17,989,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 630,956 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $152,161,000 after buying an additional 21,119 shares during the last quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 6.1% in the 4th quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 446,441 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $107,664,000 after buying an additional 25,609 shares during the last quarter. Glenview Trust Co boosted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 9.0% in the 4th quarter. Glenview Trust Co now owns 207,797 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $50,112,000 after buying an additional 17,225 shares during the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 993,332 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $239,552,000 after buying an additional 22,175 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 134.3% in the 3rd quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 56,252 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $14,137,000 after buying an additional 32,240 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LOW has been the topic of several research reports. William Blair initiated coverage on Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating on the stock. HSBC lowered their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $260.00 to $220.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Guggenheim boosted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $275.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Raymond James Financial lowered Lowe’s Companies from a “market perform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $264.57.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of LOW stock opened at $220.29 on Tuesday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $203.40 and a 52-week high of $293.06. The company has a market capitalization of $123.52 billion, a PE ratio of 18.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.87. The business’s fifty day moving average is $228.16 and its 200 day moving average is $246.14.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $23.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.98 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 67.96% and a net margin of 7.51%.The firm’s revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.92 earnings per share. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.750 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 22nd will be paid a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. This is an increase from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is 40.57%.

About Lowe’s Companies

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.