Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp Acquires 11,177 Shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 4.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 279,632 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,177 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $69,013,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. IFS Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of 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 last quarter. Marshall Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter valued at about $44,000. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $230.61 on Wednesday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $211.80 and a fifty-two week high of $287.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $130.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.23, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $247.26 and its 200 day simple moving average is $257.71.

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

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 23rd will be issued a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.99%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.67%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on LOW shares. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on 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. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $300.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. BNP Paribas upgraded Lowe’s Companies to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Piper Sandler reduced their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $296.00 to $269.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $279.71.

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.