CoreFirst Bank & Trust Invests $2.14 Million in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

CoreFirst Bank & Trust bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 8,663 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $2,138,000. Lowe’s Companies makes up about 1.3% of CoreFirst Bank & Trust’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest position.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in LOW. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. IFS Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Marshall Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 56.4% during the fourth quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Millstone Evans Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $44,000. 74.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Up 0.4 %

NYSE:LOW opened at $227.09 on Monday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $247.99 and its 200 day moving average price is $257.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $128.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.94, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $211.80 and a 1-year high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 negative return on equity of 47.55% and a net margin of 8.19%. Equities analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.03%. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is 37.67%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on LOW. Wedbush reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $250.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Evercore ISI boosted their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $305.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. StockNews.com cut shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $301.00 to $304.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.83.

Lowe’s Companies 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.