Astoria Portfolio Advisors LLC. Reduces Stock Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Astoria Portfolio Advisors LLC. lessened its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 2.6% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,862 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 132 shares during the quarter. Astoria Portfolio Advisors LLC.’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $1,238,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Tidemark LLC acquired a new position in Lowe’s Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Voisard Asset Management Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Transcendent Capital Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 74.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Up 0.3 %

LOW stock opened at $220.46 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $125.63 billion, a PE ratio of 17.71, a P/E/G ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.08. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $225.32 and its two-hundred day moving average is $228.26. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $181.85 and a 52-week high of $262.49.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 21st. The home improvement retailer reported $3.06 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.94 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $21.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $21.14 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a net margin of 8.46% and a negative return on equity of 48.52%. The firm’s revenue was down 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.67 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies, Inc. will post 12.23 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 24th will be given a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 24th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.27%. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is currently 35.34%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have commented on LOW. Wedbush reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $250.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Mizuho began coverage on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Tuesday, March 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $280.00 price target on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $230.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Tuesday, May 21st. Citigroup reduced their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $243.00 to $240.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 7th. Finally, Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $255.00 to $250.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $251.33.

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.