Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) Downgraded to “Hold” Rating by StockNews.com

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) was downgraded by StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Thursday.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Evercore ISI upped their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $300.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Wedbush reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, BNP Paribas upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $280.35.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

LOW stock opened at $235.25 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $243.94 and its two-hundred day moving average is $256.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $131.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.62, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12. Lowe’s Companies has a 1 year low of $211.80 and a 1 year high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $18.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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, analysts predict that Lowe’s Companies will post 11.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lowe’s Companies

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Klingenstein Fields & Co. LP increased its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Klingenstein Fields & Co. LP now owns 4,101 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,012,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Saxony Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 4.2% during the fourth quarter. Saxony Capital Management LLC now owns 994 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $245,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Powers Advisory Group LLC raised its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Powers Advisory Group LLC now owns 1,541 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $380,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Gen Wealth Partners Inc increased its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Gen Wealth Partners Inc now owns 2,163 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $534,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cordatus Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Cordatus Wealth Management LLC now owns 15,012 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $3,705,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

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.