Accent Capital Management LLC Increases Stock Position in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Accent Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 110.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 5,256 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 2,761 shares during the period. Lowe's Companies accounts for about 0.8% of Accent Capital Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 25th largest position. Accent Capital Management LLC's holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $1,424,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Lowe's Companies by 1,889.7% during the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 2,134,969 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $578,256,000 after purchasing an additional 2,027,668 shares during the period. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC increased its position in shares of Lowe's Companies by 20,275.6% during the 2nd quarter. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC now owns 1,205,014 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $2,657,000 after purchasing an additional 1,199,100 shares in the last quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings 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 valued at $219,761,000 after purchasing an additional 645,017 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its position in Lowe's Companies by 36.6% in the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,840,704 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $468,884,000 after buying an additional 493,180 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP grew its stake 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 last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on LOW shares. Wedbush reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $250.00 target price on shares of Lowe's Companies in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Lowe's Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on Lowe's Companies from $245.00 to $238.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on shares of Lowe's Companies in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $323.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their price target on Lowe's Companies from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an "in-line" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Lowe's Companies presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $273.84.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total transaction of $1,684,262.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 9,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,334,678.06. This represents a 41.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.45, for a total transaction of $1,555,408.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 13,214 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,586,940.30. The trade was a 30.25 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.26% of the company's stock.

Lowe's Companies Stock Performance

Shares of LOW traded down $0.95 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $269.40. The stock had a trading volume of 2,264,979 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,318,364. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $196.23 and a 12 month high of $287.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $152.83 billion, a PE ratio of 22.34, a PEG ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.10. The company's 50-day moving average is $267.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $243.62.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.96 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $23.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $23.93 billion. Lowe's Companies had a net margin of 8.25% and a negative return on equity of 47.07%. The company's revenue was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $4.56 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 11.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe's Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 23rd were paid a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.71%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, October 23rd. This is a positive change from Lowe's Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. Lowe's Companies's payout ratio is 38.14%.

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.