Lowe’s Companies Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:LOW)

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Monday. Stock investors purchased 13,192 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 51% compared to the typical volume of 8,758 call options.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on LOW shares. Mizuho reduced their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $305.00 to $300.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 27th. BNP Paribas raised Lowe’s Companies to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $292.00 to $285.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Wedbush restated a “neutral” rating and set a $250.00 price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $279.71.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lowe’s Companies

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Mascagni Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $67,000. Chancellor Financial Group WB LP purchased a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $267,000. 111 Capital bought a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth $1,912,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 11.1% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 397,390 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $98,076,000 after purchasing an additional 39,616 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC lifted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 95,913 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $23,671,000 after purchasing an additional 598 shares during the last quarter. 74.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

Shares of LOW stock traded up $4.75 on Monday, hitting $231.82. 962,977 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,274,143. Lowe’s Companies has a 52 week low of $211.80 and a 52 week high of $287.01. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $247.99 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $257.88. The firm has a market cap of $130.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.32, a PEG ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 1.12.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.93 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $18.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.29 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 47.55% and a net margin of 8.19%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Lowe’s Companies will post 11.9 EPS for the current year.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 23rd will be paid a $1.15 dividend. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.98%. Lowe’s Companies’s payout ratio is 37.67%.

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.