J.Safra Asset Management Corp Purchases 321 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

J.Safra Asset Management Corp increased its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 68.9% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 787 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after buying an additional 321 shares during the quarter. J.Safra Asset Management Corp’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $194,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of LOW. IFS Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 56.4% in the 4th quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. Marshall Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, JNBA Financial Advisors increased 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 worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. 74.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 1.2 %

NYSE LOW opened at $242.82 on Thursday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $211.80 and a 12 month high of $287.01. The stock has a market cap of $137.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.11. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $252.13 and its 200-day moving average price is $259.12.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on LOW shares. StockNews.com raised Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $305.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. DA Davidson boosted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $240.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and set a $300.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $280.83.

Lowe’s Companies Company 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.