First National Trust Co Has $2.74 Million Stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

First National Trust Co lowered its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 0.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 10,115 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 63 shares during the quarter. First National Trust Co’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $2,740,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of LOW. Stephens Consulting LLC raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 93.3% in the second quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 145 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the period. JNBA Financial Advisors raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 555.6% in the 3rd quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors now owns 118 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 118.6% in the 3rd quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 129 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the period. Kimelman & Baird LLC acquired a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at $37,000. Finally, Tsfg LLC boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 128.2% during the third quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 178 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $269.84 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $265.13 and its 200 day moving average is $242.57. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $192.10 and a one year high of $287.01. The firm has a market cap of $153.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.37, a P/E/G ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.10.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.10 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.96 by $0.14. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.25% and a negative return on equity of 47.07%. The company had revenue of $23.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $23.93 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.56 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 23rd were given a $1.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, October 23rd. This is a positive change from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.70%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.14%.

Insider Activity

In other Lowe’s Companies news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total value of $1,684,262.58. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 9,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,334,678.06. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Lowe’s Companies news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total value of $1,684,262.58. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 9,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,334,678.06. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.45, for a total transaction of $1,555,408.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 13,214 shares in the company, valued at $3,586,940.30. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.26% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Melius Research assumed coverage on Lowe’s Companies in a report on Monday, September 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating and a $290.00 price objective on the stock. Bank of America lifted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $275.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $323.00 price target on the stock. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $273.84.

About Lowe’s Companies

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.