2,096 Shares in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Purchased by Polymer Capital Management US LLC

Polymer Capital Management US LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 2,096 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $517,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of LOW. United Bank raised its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 1.4% in the third quarter. United Bank now owns 10,099 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $2,735,000 after buying an additional 137 shares during the period. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 3rd quarter worth about $205,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 14.4% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 721,116 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $195,314,000 after purchasing an additional 90,750 shares during the period. Zacks Investment Management increased its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 7.4% during the third quarter. Zacks Investment Management now owns 3,166 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $858,000 after acquiring an additional 217 shares during the period. Finally, Bontempo Ohly Capital Mgmt LLC lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Bontempo Ohly Capital Mgmt LLC now owns 18,758 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $5,081,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 0.2 %

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $223.05 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $124.84 billion, a PE ratio of 18.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.07. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $211.80 and a 1-year high of $287.01. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $242.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is $256.46.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $18.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.29 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.19% and a negative return on equity of 47.55%. Research analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 23rd will be given a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.06%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is 37.67%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on LOW shares. StockNews.com cut shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $292.00 to $285.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. BNP Paribas raised Lowe’s Companies to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Mizuho cut their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $280.35.

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.