World Investment Advisors Grows Position in Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

World Investment Advisors lifted its position in shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW - Free Report) by 11.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 26,329 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 2,615 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors' holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $6,498,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of LOW. State Street Corp lifted its holdings 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 worth $6,774,948,000 after buying an additional 460,851 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Lowe's Companies by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 11,979,337 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $2,952,341,000 after purchasing an additional 245,876 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Lowe's Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,842,954,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings in shares of Lowe's Companies by 10.2% in the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 4,186,720 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $1,033,283,000 after purchasing an additional 385,994 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Lowe's Companies by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,459,064 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $853,697,000 after buying an additional 90,012 shares in the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Lowe's Companies Stock Performance

NYSE LOW traded up $0.53 on Friday, reaching $223.05. 4,829,634 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,435,897. The company has a market cap of $124.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.60, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $211.80 and a 12 month high of $287.01. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $242.39 and a 200-day moving average price of $256.47.

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $18.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.29 billion. Lowe's Companies had a net margin of 8.19% and a negative return on equity of 47.55%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lowe's Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 23rd will be paid a dividend of $1.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 23rd. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.06%. Lowe's Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.67%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LOW has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating and set a $300.00 price target on shares of Lowe's Companies in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Mizuho cut their price target on Lowe's Companies from $305.00 to $300.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Lowe's Companies from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on Lowe's Companies from $292.00 to $285.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Lowe's Companies to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $280.35.

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.