Empirical Asset Management LLC decreased its position in shares of Lowe's Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW – Get Rating) by 35.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,270 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after selling 1,825 shares during the quarter. Empirical Asset Management LLC's holdings in Lowe's Companies were worth $571,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOW. ETF Managers Group LLC acquired a new stake in Lowe's Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $925,000. Continuum Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in Lowe's Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $234,000. Freestone Capital Holdings LLC grew its position in Lowe's Companies by 4.9% in the 4th quarter. Freestone Capital Holdings LLC now owns 21,097 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $5,453,000 after purchasing an additional 979 shares during the period. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in Lowe's Companies by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,519 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $393,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. Finally, Lorne Steinberg Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new position in Lowe's Companies during the 4th quarter worth $246,000. Institutional investors own 74.04% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on LOW shares. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies from $240.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, August 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies from $230.00 to $210.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 9th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies from $220.00 to $245.00 in a report on Wednesday, August 17th. DA Davidson lifted their price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies from $225.00 to $247.00 in a report on Thursday, August 18th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on shares of Lowe's Companies from $238.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $244.05.

Lowe's Companies Price Performance

Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW – Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 17th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.67 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.63 by $0.04. Lowe's Companies had a negative return on equity of 155.26% and a net margin of 8.83%. The company had revenue of $27.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.16 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.25 earnings per share. Lowe's Companies's revenue was down .3% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Lowe's Companies, Inc. will post 13.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lowe's Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 2nd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, October 19th will be issued a dividend of $1.05 per share. This represents a $4.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.23%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 18th. Lowe's Companies's payout ratio is 33.10%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Lowe's Companies news, EVP Seemantini Godbole sold 11,761 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $214.37, for a total value of $2,521,205.57. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 26,575 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,696,882.75. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.24% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Lowe's Companies Company Profile

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Lowe's Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a home improvement retailer in the United States and internationally. The company offers a line of products for construction, maintenance, repair, remodeling, and decorating. It 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, lighting, and electrical.

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