Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) – Investment analysts at KeyCorp boosted their FY2020 earnings estimates for shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, August 21st, according to Zacks Investment Research. KeyCorp analyst B. Thomas now anticipates that the home improvement retailer will post earnings per share of $5.65 for the year, up from their previous forecast of $5.55. KeyCorp currently has a “Overweight” rating and a $125.00 price target on the stock. KeyCorp also issued estimates for Lowe’s Companies’ FY2021 earnings at $6.70 EPS.
Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $2.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.00 by $0.15. Lowe’s Companies had a return on equity of 111.09% and a net margin of 3.52%. The business had revenue of $20.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.07 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .5% compared to the same quarter last year.
A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on LOW. ValuEngine upgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 10th. Gabelli restated a “buy” rating on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Thursday, May 23rd. Robert W. Baird set a $127.00 price objective on Lowe’s Companies and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. SunTrust Banks restated a “buy” rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Friday, May 24th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $115.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 22nd. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $116.82.
NYSE LOW traded down $0.52 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $113.36. 3,366,549 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,394,800. Lowe’s Companies has a 1-year low of $84.75 and a 1-year high of $118.23. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $104.50 and a 200-day simple moving average of $104.78. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 0.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.80. The company has a market cap of $87.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 1.30.
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 23rd will be issued a $0.55 dividend. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.94%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 22nd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 42.80%.
In related news, EVP Donald Frieson purchased 2,030 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 19th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $98.69 per share, with a total value of $200,340.70. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president now owns 10,980 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,083,616.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.07% of the company’s stock.
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in LOW. Advisors Preferred LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Icon Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. Next Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Weaver Consulting Group bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Knuff & Co LLC bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. 76.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Lowe’s Companies Company Profile
Lowe’s Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a home improvement retailer in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The company offers a line of products for construction, maintenance, repair, remodeling, and decorating. It provides home improvement products in various categories, such as lumber and building materials, appliances, seasonal and outdoor living, tools and hardware, fashion fixtures, rough plumbing and electrical, paint, millwork, lawn and garden, flooring, and kitchens.