Equities research analysts expect Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) to post $0.78 earnings per share for the current fiscal quarter, according to Zacks. Eleven analysts have provided estimates for Lowe’s Companies’ earnings, with the highest EPS estimate coming in at $1.08 and the lowest estimate coming in at $0.30. Lowe’s Companies reported earnings of $0.74 per share in the same quarter last year, which suggests a positive year-over-year growth rate of 5.4%. The firm is scheduled to report its next quarterly earnings report on Wednesday, February 27th.
According to Zacks, analysts expect that Lowe’s Companies will report full year earnings of $5.11 per share for the current financial year, with EPS estimates ranging from $5.05 to $5.14. For the next financial year, analysts anticipate that the firm will report earnings of $5.91 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $5.72 to $6.12. Zacks’ EPS averages are an average based on a survey of research analysts that cover Lowe’s Companies.
Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, November 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.04 EPS for the quarter, topping the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $17.42 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $17.36 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a return on equity of 72.47% and a net margin of 5.19%. The company’s revenue was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.05 earnings per share.
LOW has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $125.00 to $110.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 23rd. Loop Capital set a $125.00 price target on Lowe’s Companies and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 21st. Citigroup raised Lowe’s Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $112.00 price target for the company in a research report on Tuesday, October 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on Lowe’s Companies to $118.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 23rd. Finally, Piper Jaffray Companies dropped their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $110.00 to $93.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 21st. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-one have issued a buy rating to the company. Lowe’s Companies currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $112.44.
LOW stock traded up $0.51 during trading on Friday, hitting $92.62. 185,785 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,080,823. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.68. The stock has a market cap of $71.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.14, a P/E/G ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 1.55. Lowe’s Companies has a 1 year low of $81.16 and a 1 year high of $117.70.
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 6th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.48 per share. This represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.07%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 22nd. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.74%.
In related news, CFO Marshall A. Croom sold 15,735 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.61, for a total value of $1,803,388.35. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 63,099 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,231,776.39. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Brian C. Rogers bought 10,000 shares of Lowe’s Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 23rd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $88.02 per share, with a total value of $880,200.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 10,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $880,200. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 0.30% of the company’s stock.
Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Columbia Asset Management bought a new position in shares of Lowe’s Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $109,000. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter worth $116,000. Stelac Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the third quarter worth $123,000. Almanack Investment Partners LLC. purchased a new stake in Lowe’s Companies in the second quarter worth $103,000. Finally, Rational Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 1,005.9% during the third quarter. Rational Advisors LLC now owns 1,117 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $128,000 after buying an additional 1,016 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.87% of the company’s stock.
Lowe’s Companies Company Profile
Lowe’s Cos., Inc engages in the retail sale of home improvement products. It offers products for maintenance, repair, remodeling, home decorating, and property maintenance. It also provides home improvement products in the following categories: appliances, bathroom, building supply, electrical, flooring, hardware, paint, kitchen, plumbing, lighting & fans, outdoor living, windows, and doors.
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