Beck Mack & Oliver LLC Cuts Stock Holdings in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Beck Mack & Oliver LLC trimmed its position in shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 1.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 150,052 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after selling 1,452 shares during the period. Beck Mack & Oliver LLC's holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $37,033,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. IFS Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 56.4% during the 4th quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Lowe's Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations bought a new stake in shares of Lowe's Companies during the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Lowe's Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $44,000. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Lowe's Companies Trading Up 0.3 %

Shares of LOW traded up $0.59 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $218.51. The stock had a trading volume of 1,063,002 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,468,390. The company has a market capitalization of $122.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.07. The company's 50-day moving average is $231.16 and its 200 day moving average is $251.89. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $206.39 and a 12-month high of $287.01.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $18.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $18.29 billion. Research analysts forecast that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe's Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 23rd will be paid a $1.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 23rd. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.11%. Lowe's Companies's payout ratio is 37.67%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on LOW. StockNews.com raised shares of Lowe's Companies from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. DA Davidson reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $270.00 target price on shares of Lowe's Companies in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on Lowe's Companies from $292.00 to $285.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of Lowe's Companies from $305.00 to $290.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their target price on Lowe's Companies from $305.00 to $300.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lowe's Companies has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $278.74.

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.