First Affirmative Financial Network Has $773,000 Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

First Affirmative Financial Network reduced its holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 16.8% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 3,134 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 633 shares during the period. First Affirmative Financial Network’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $773,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in Lowe’s Companies by 7.8% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 59,954 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $13,218,000 after acquiring an additional 4,343 shares during the period. Advisory Alpha LLC grew its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 8.5% during the 2nd quarter. Advisory Alpha LLC now owns 3,906 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $861,000 after purchasing an additional 306 shares in the last quarter. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the second quarter valued at approximately $266,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC raised its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 3.1% in the second quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 334,326 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $73,706,000 after purchasing an additional 10,039 shares in the last quarter. Finally, RiverFront Investment Group LLC bought a new position in Lowe’s Companies in the second quarter worth $420,000. 74.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Quonta D. Vance sold 7,198 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $274.37, for a total value of $1,974,915.26. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 16,703 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,582,802.11. This represents a 30.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Lowe’s Companies Stock Down 1.0 %

Lowe’s Companies stock opened at $261.72 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $147.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.83, a P/E/G ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 1.11. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $210.10 and a 12-month high of $287.01. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $259.15 and its 200 day simple moving average is $256.97.

Lowe’s Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 5th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 22nd will be given a dividend of $1.15 per share. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.76%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 22nd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 38.37%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have issued reports on LOW. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $291.00 to $292.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. StockNews.com raised shares of Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Mizuho lifted their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $282.00 to $305.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Bank of America upped their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $275.00 to $305.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Finally, Wedbush restated a “neutral” rating and set a $250.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Lowe’s Companies currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.85.

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.