Forte Capital LLC ADV Has $15.62 Million Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Forte Capital LLC ADV lowered its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 3.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 57,670 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 2,281 shares during the period. Lowe’s Companies makes up approximately 1.8% of Forte Capital LLC ADV’s holdings, making the stock its 15th biggest position. Forte Capital LLC ADV’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $15,620,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in LOW. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 5.2% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 53,693,630 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $13,677,378,000 after purchasing an additional 2,674,372 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 2,027,668 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC increased its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 20,275.6% during the second quarter. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC now owns 1,205,014 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $2,657,000 after acquiring an additional 1,199,100 shares during the period. M&G Plc bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the first quarter valued at about $217,995,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 36.6% during 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 acquiring an additional 493,180 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Lowe’s Companies

In related news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total value of $1,684,262.58. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 9,383 shares in the company, valued at $2,334,678.06. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $271.45, for a total value 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 $3,586,940.30. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total value of $1,684,262.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 9,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,334,678.06. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.26% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently issued reports on LOW. Loop Capital upgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $250.00 to $300.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Gordon Haskett lowered their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $245.00 to $240.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. Melius Research started coverage on Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Monday, September 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $290.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 18th. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $272.20.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:LOW opened at $261.66 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $263.77 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $241.67. The company has a market cap of $148.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.70, a P/E/G ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.10. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $189.05 and a 52-week high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.96 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $23.59 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $23.93 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 47.07% and a net margin of 8.25%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $4.56 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 23rd were given a $1.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, October 23rd. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.76%. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 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.