Candriam S.C.A. Boosts Stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Candriam S.C.A. boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 74.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 98,279 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 42,076 shares during the period. Candriam S.C.A.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $24,255,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of LOW. FMR LLC grew its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 10.2% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 26,010,730 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $7,045,006,000 after acquiring an additional 2,399,897 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $314,435,000. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 24,531.0% in the fourth quarter. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC now owns 1,228,102 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $303,096,000 after purchasing an additional 1,223,116 shares during the period. Proficio Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 42,529.8% in the fourth quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 846,202 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $208,843,000 after purchasing an additional 844,217 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Applied Finance Capital Management LLC increased 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 worth $219,761,000 after purchasing an additional 645,017 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $243.50 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $137.49 billion, a PE ratio of 20.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.11. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $252.01 and a two-hundred day moving average of $259.01. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $211.80 and a one year high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $18.55 billion during 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, sell-side analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LOW has been the subject of several research reports. Bank of America lowered their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $290.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Wedbush reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $250.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. DA Davidson boosted their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $240.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $280.83.

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.