Lowe's earnings expected $2.97 EPS

Lowe's reported first-quarter results on Wednesday, May 20, after Wall Street had been looking for earnings near $2.97 a share ahead of the release. The company said adjusted diluted earnings per share were $3.03, while diluted earnings per share were $2.90, and it affirmed its full-year 2026 outlook. Lowe's also said comparable sales rose 0.6% in the quarter ended May 1. The Mooresville, North Carolina, retailer entered the report under pressure from a weak housing backdrop and close comparison with Home Depot's results a day earlier. Analysts and investors had been watching whether Lowe's could keep professional customer demand growing even as higher mortgage rates and home prices weighed on bigger discretionary projects. Investing.com had cited a $2.97-per-share analyst expectation before the release. (corporate.lowes.com) ### What did Lowe's actually report? Lowe's said net earnings were $1.6 billion for the quarter ended May 1, 2026, compared with diluted earnings per share of $2.92 in the year-earlier period. The company said first-quarter results included $96 million in pre-tax expenses tied to its acquisitions of Foundation Building Materials and Artisan Design Group. (cnbc.com) The company said adjusted diluted earnings per share were $3.03, above the pre-report figure cited by Investing.com. Lowe's also said it was affirming its full-year 2026 outlook, a key point for investors looking for signs that management sees demand holding up through the rest of the year. (morningstar.com) ### Why were investors focused on pro customers? Investing.com said the central question before the release was whether growth from professional customers could offset housing-market weakness. That focus reflects a broader pattern in home improvement retail, where contractors and other trade buyers have been steadier than do-it-yourself shoppers in several recent quarters. (corporate.lowes.com) Home Depot gave markets a fresh read on that pattern on Tuesday, May 19. CNBC reported that Home Depot posted adjusted earnings per share of $3.43 on revenue of $41.77 billion, beating Wall Street expectations, while the company said its core customer remained resilient. ### How weak was Lowe's setup going into earnings? Stock market data showed Lowe's shares closed at $218.02 on May 19, with a 52-week range of $210.33 to $293.06. (msn.com) That left the stock close to the low end of its one-year range heading into the report. MSN, citing premarket coverage, said Lowe's and Home Depot shares were both near 52-week lows before Lowe's results. Another pre-earnings item said Lowe's had missed revenue estimates multiple times over the last two years, a record that added pressure to this quarter's release. (cnbc.com) ### How does Lowe's compare with Home Depot right now? (stockanalysis.com) Home Depot's quarter provided the market's clearest comparison point because it arrived one day earlier and came from the same home-improvement backdrop. CNBC said Home Depot reported revenue of $41.77 billion versus expectations of $41.52 billion, while adjusted earnings per share were $3.43 against expectations of $3.41. (msn.com) Lowe's result showed a smaller earnings figure in absolute terms, but the immediate issue for investors was whether the company could beat the pre-report consensus and maintain guidance. On both counts, Lowe's delivered a firmer report than the $2.97 expectation had implied. That is an inference based on Lowe's reported $3.03 adjusted EPS and its decision to reaffirm full-year guidance. (cnbc.com) ### What comes next today? Lowe's said its first-quarter 2026 earnings conference call was scheduled for 9 a.m. ET on Wednesday, May 20. The company said a webcast replay would be available from noon ET on May 20 through May 19, 2027, on its investor relations site. (corporate.lowes.com 1) (corporate.lowes.com 2)