Citizens National Bank Trust Department Decreases Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Citizens National Bank Trust Department reduced its stake in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 1.1% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 27,265 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 310 shares during the period. Lowe’s Companies accounts for about 1.6% of Citizens National Bank Trust Department’s portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest position. Citizens National Bank Trust Department’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $7,385,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Stephens Consulting LLC grew its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 93.3% in the 2nd quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 145 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Keener Financial Planning LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the first quarter valued at approximately $35,000. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 118.6% during the third quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 129 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Kimelman & Baird LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the second quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Tsfg LLC boosted its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 128.2% during the third quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 178 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Lowe’s Companies

In other news, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of the company’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 of the company’s stock, valued at $3,586,940.30. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total transaction of $1,684,262.58. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 9,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,334,678.06. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Margrethe R. Vagell sold 5,730 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $271.45, for a total value of $1,555,408.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 13,214 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,586,940.30. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on LOW shares. StockNews.com upgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 18th. Bank of America boosted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $275.00 to $305.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 11th. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 21st. Telsey Advisory Group boosted their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $230.00 to $275.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Finally, Loop Capital raised Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $250.00 to $300.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $271.60.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:LOW opened at $261.94 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $262.81 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $241.00. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $189.05 and a 52-week high of $287.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $148.60 billion, a PE ratio of 21.72, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.10.

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

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 23rd will be paid a $1.15 dividend. This is a positive change from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, October 23rd. This represents a $4.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.76%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 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.