BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. Sells 163,286 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. cut its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 36.3% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 287,026 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 163,286 shares during the period. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $73,114,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of LOW. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Tidemark LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Pacific Capital Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 0.8 %

NYSE:LOW traded up $2.05 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $245.09. The company had a trading volume of 397,294 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,535,455. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $181.85 and a 52 week high of $262.49. The firm has a market cap of $139.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.69, a PEG ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 1.08. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $223.39 and its 200-day moving average price is $228.42.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.94 by $0.12. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.46% and a negative return on equity of 48.52%. The business had revenue of $21.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.14 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.67 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 24th will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.24%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 24th. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is 35.34%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on LOW shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $230.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Tuesday, May 21st. Zelman & Associates reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $265.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Tuesday, April 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 13th. Finally, Wedbush reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $250.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $250.04.

Lowe’s Companies Profile

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.