IQ EQ FUND MANAGEMENT IRELAND Ltd Sells 3,500 Shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

IQ EQ FUND MANAGEMENT IRELAND Ltd cut its stake in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 9.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 32,048 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after selling 3,500 shares during the period. Lowe's Companies makes up about 0.9% of IQ EQ FUND MANAGEMENT IRELAND Ltd's portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. IQ EQ FUND MANAGEMENT IRELAND Ltd's holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $7,909,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P raised its position in Lowe's Companies by 91.0% during the fourth quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 380 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $94,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. AssuredPartners Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in Lowe's Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,259,000. NEOS Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Lowe's Companies by 32.2% during the fourth quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC now owns 33,626 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $8,299,000 after acquiring an additional 8,185 shares in the last quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Lowe's Companies by 29.2% in the 4th quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd now owns 34,718 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $8,568,000 after purchasing an additional 7,845 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Moment Partners LLC acquired a new position in Lowe's Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $696,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Lowe's Companies Trading Up 1.3 %

LOW stock traded up $2.96 during trading on Monday, reaching $231.38. 994,547 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,412,689. The firm's 50 day moving average is $245.57 and its 200 day moving average is $257.38. The firm has a market cap of $129.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $211.80 and a twelve month high of $287.01.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share 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 company had revenue of $18.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.29 billion. As a group, analysts predict that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.99%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 23rd. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio is currently 37.67%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. BNP Paribas raised shares of Lowe's Companies to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Evercore ISI increased their target price on Lowe's Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an "in-line" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on Lowe's Companies from $301.00 to $304.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $300.00 price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Lowe's Companies from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $279.71.

Lowe's Companies Company 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.