Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) Shares Bought by Eastern Bank

Eastern Bank raised its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 1.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 140,234 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 2,195 shares during the quarter. Eastern Bank's holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $34,610,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. FMR LLC grew its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 10.2% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 26,010,730 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $7,045,006,000 after purchasing an additional 2,399,897 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Lowe's Companies by 1,889.7% during the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 2,134,969 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $578,256,000 after buying an additional 2,027,668 shares during the last quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Lowe's Companies by 387.7% during the 3rd quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC now owns 811,374 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $219,761,000 after buying an additional 645,017 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP increased its position in Lowe's Companies by 170.5% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 735,633 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $162,178,000 after buying an additional 463,645 shares during the period. Finally, State Street Corp lifted its stake in Lowe's Companies by 1.9% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 25,013,655 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $6,774,948,000 after buying an additional 460,851 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company's stock.

Lowe's Companies Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of LOW traded up $0.74 on Monday, reaching $248.64. The stock had a trading volume of 2,689,705 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,371,372. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $260.90 and a 200 day moving average of $253.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $140.39 billion, a PE ratio of 20.74, a PEG ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.11. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $209.55 and a twelve month high of $287.01.

Lowe's Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 22nd will be given a $1.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 22nd. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.85%. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio is presently 38.37%.

Insider Activity at Lowe's Companies

In related news, EVP Quonta D. Vance sold 7,198 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.37, for a total value of $1,974,915.26. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 16,703 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,582,802.11. This represents a 30.12 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.26% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LOW has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Loop Capital raised shares of Lowe's Companies from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their target price for the company from $250.00 to $300.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Wedbush reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $250.00 price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Oppenheimer raised shares of Lowe's Companies from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and upped their target price for the company from $230.00 to $305.00 in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. Melius Research assumed coverage on Lowe's Companies in a report on Monday, September 23rd. They set a "buy" rating and a $290.00 price target on the stock. Finally, DA Davidson boosted their price target on Lowe's Companies from $240.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $280.85.

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.