Sentry Investment Management LLC Cuts Stock Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Sentry Investment Management LLC lowered its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 59.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,041 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 1,538 shares during the period. Sentry Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $282,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. ASB Consultores LLC raised its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 5.4% during the 3rd quarter. ASB Consultores LLC now owns 1,049 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $284,000 after buying an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. FSM Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 11.8% during the third quarter. FSM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,506 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $408,000 after acquiring an additional 159 shares during the period. Catalyst Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter worth $103,000. PDS Planning Inc lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 1.2% in the third quarter. PDS Planning Inc now owns 4,407 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,194,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the period. Finally, Asset Management One Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 1.0% in the third quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 214,168 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $58,007,000 after acquiring an additional 2,132 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 1.2 %

Shares of LOW stock opened at $264.98 on Tuesday. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $189.05 and a 52 week high of $287.01. The company has a market cap of $150.32 billion, a PE ratio of 21.97, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.10. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $263.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $241.25.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 company had revenue of $23.59 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.93 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.25% and a negative return on equity of 47.07%. Lowe’s Companies’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.56 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 23rd will be paid a dividend of $1.15 per share. This is an increase from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, October 23rd. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.74%. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is 38.14%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on LOW shares. Wedbush reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $272.00 to $270.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st. Melius Research assumed coverage on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Monday, September 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $290.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $250.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. Finally, StockNews.com raised Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have given 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 a consensus price target of $271.60.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total transaction of $1,684,262.58. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 9,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,334,678.06. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 12th. The stock was 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 directly owns 9,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,334,678.06. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $271.45, for a total transaction of $1,555,408.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 13,214 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,586,940.30. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.