Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund Increases Position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund raised its position in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 101.3% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 150,000 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 75,500 shares during the quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $40,628,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. Stephens Consulting LLC raised its position in Lowe’s Companies by 93.3% in the second quarter. Stephens Consulting LLC now owns 145 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. JNBA Financial Advisors raised its position in Lowe’s Companies by 555.6% in the third quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors now owns 118 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Lowe’s Companies by 118.6% in 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 during the period. Kimelman & Baird LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the second quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Tsfg LLC raised its position in Lowe’s Companies by 128.2% in 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 during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:LOW opened at $273.14 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $154.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.78, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.10. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $196.32 and a one year high of $287.01. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $269.80 and a 200-day simple moving average of $245.66.

Lowe’s Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 6th. Investors of record on Wednesday, October 23rd were issued a dividend of $1.15 per share. This is a boost from Lowe’s Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.68%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, October 23rd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 38.37%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Lowe’s Companies news, CAO Dan Clayton Griggs, Jr. sold 6,769 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $248.82, for a total transaction of $1,684,262.58. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 9,383 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,334,678.06. This represents a 41.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, 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 transaction of $1,555,408.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 13,214 shares in the company, valued at $3,586,940.30. The trade was a 30.25 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LOW has been the subject of several research reports. Gordon Haskett dropped their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $245.00 to $240.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $272.00 to $270.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $305.00 price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Loop Capital upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $250.00 to $300.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $295.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $277.92.

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.