Lowe’s earnings beat as sales jump more than 10% despite sluggish housing market

Lowe’s topped Wall Street’s quarterly revenue and earnings expectations on Wednesday, as the retailer’s sales grew more than 10% year over year.

The home improvement company said it expects total sales for the full current fiscal year to range between $92 billion and $94 billion, which would be a roughly 7% to 9% increase over the prior year. It said it projects adjusted earnings per share to be between $12.25 and $12.75 for the full year. Lowe’s said it expects comparable sales, a metric that takes out one-time factors, to be approximately flat to up 2%.

In a news release, CEO Marvin Ellison said the company’s strategy is resonating with its do-it-yourself customers and home professionals, even as higher mortgage rates and slower real estate sales challenge its industry.

“While the housing macro remains pressured, we are focused on directing what is within our control, which includes our ongoing productivity initiatives,” he said. “We remain confident that we are well-positioned to take share regardless of the macro environment.”

Shares of Lowe’s fell in premarket trading as the company’s earnings per share projections for the year fell short of analysts’ consensus expectations of $12.95, according to LSEG.

Here’s what Lowe’s reported for the fiscal fourth quarter compared with Wall Street’s estimates, according to a survey of analysts by LSEG:

• Earnings per share: $1.98 adjusted vs. $1.94 expected
• Revenue: $20.58 billion vs. $20.34 billion expected

Lowe’s net income for the three-month period that ended Jan. 30 dropped to $999 million, or $1.78 per share, from $1.13 billion, or $1.99 per share, in the year-ago quarter. Excluding one-time factors, including expenses associated with recent acquisitions, Lowe’s reported adjusted earnings per share of $1.98.

Revenue rose from $18.55 billion in the year-ago period.

Comparable sales for the quarter climbed 1.3%, higher than the 0.2% that analysts were expecting, according to StreetAccount. The company said in a news release that growth was driven by its gains with home professionals, online sales and home services, along with a strong holiday season.

Its competitor, Home Depot, on Tuesday beat Wall Street’s earnings and revenue expectations, but stuck by conservative full-year guidance. Its quarterly results reflected that home improvement demand remains tepid, as U.S. consumers continue to put off big projects because of high borrowing costs and housing prices as well as economic concerns.

Like Home Depot, Lowe’s has felt pinched by a tougher backdrop for the industry. Both have acquired companies that cater to contractors and other professionals, which tend to be a steadier source of business.

Last year, Lowe’s acquired Foundation Building Materials, a distributor of drywall, insulation and other interior building products for large residential and commercial professionals, for about $8.8 billion. It also bought Artisan Design Group, which provides design services and installation of flooring, cabinets and countertops for homebuilders and property managers, for about $1.33 billion.

Lowe’s has also made its own moves to reach customers who are delaying home purchases, such as launching a third-party marketplace to expand its mix of merchandise, tapping influencers to raise its visibility on social media and reaching out to young families by relaunching its kids’ program.

As of Tuesday’s close, Lowe’s shares are up nearly 16% year to date, surpassing the S&P 500’s roughly 1% gains during the same period. Its stock has risen about 15% over the past year, almost matching the S&P 500’s approximately 16% gains over that time.