First Manhattan CO. LLC. Increases Stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. $LOW

First Manhattan CO. LLC. increased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,498,010 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after buying an additional 20,094 shares during the period. Lowe’s Companies comprises approximately 0.9% of First Manhattan CO. LLC.’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. First Manhattan CO. LLC.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $361,260,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Swiss RE Ltd. purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Wilkerson Advisory Group LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora grew its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 52.5% in the fourth quarter. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. United Financial Planning Group LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Lowe’s Companies

In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Janice Dupre sold 14,150 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $221.90, for a total value of $3,139,885.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 39,785 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,828,291.50. The trade was a 26.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.29% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

LOW has been the topic of several analyst reports. Oppenheimer cut their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $315.00 to $275.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Benchmark initiated coverage on Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. HSBC cut 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. Argus lifted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $286.00 to $288.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $300.00 to $293.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Twenty-three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $264.57.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE LOW opened at $217.12 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $121.74 billion, a PE ratio of 18.35, a P/E/G ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.86. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $227.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $245.84. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $203.40 and a fifty-two week high of $293.06.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.97 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $23.08 billion during 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 company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $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 predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 22nd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 40.57%.

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.