Markel Group Inc. Purchases 11,000 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Markel Group Inc. increased its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 701,480 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,000 shares during the quarter. Lowe’s Companies makes up about 1.5% of Markel Group Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest position. Markel Group Inc.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $173,125,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of LOW. Founders Financial Alliance LLC lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 2.1% during the fourth quarter. Founders Financial Alliance LLC now owns 12,032 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $2,970,000 after buying an additional 248 shares during the period. Miller Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth $511,000. Sollinda Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Sollinda Capital Management LLC now owns 6,703 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,654,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Cornerstone Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 35.2% during the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Advisors LLC now owns 36,900 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $9,107,000 after buying an additional 9,600 shares during the period. Finally, Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 2.3% during the fourth quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 21,235 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $5,241,000 after buying an additional 478 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of LOW opened at $242.07 on Tuesday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $251.81 and its two-hundred day moving average is $259.27. The company has a market capitalization of $136.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $211.80 and a fifty-two week high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 firm had revenue of $18.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.29 billion. Analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LOW has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Barclays upped their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $229.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. BNP Paribas upgraded Lowe’s Companies to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Sanford C. Bernstein increased their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $301.00 to $304.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $307.00 to $296.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Evercore ISI increased their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $280.83.

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.