Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Shares Sold by Associated Banc Corp

Associated Banc Corp lowered its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.2% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 149,825 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 1,801 shares during the quarter. Lowe’s Companies accounts for approximately 1.1% of Associated Banc Corp’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest position. Associated Banc Corp’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $36,977,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in LOW. IFS Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter worth $27,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 56.4% in the fourth 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 acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth $45,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE LOW opened at $224.64 on Friday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $211.80 and a fifty-two week high of $287.01. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $250.18 and its 200 day simple moving average is $258.49. The stock has a market cap of $126.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.74, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have commented on LOW. Wedbush reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $250.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $292.00 to $285.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $305.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Evercore ISI raised 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. Finally, DA Davidson raised 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.83.

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.