Lowe’s to report quarterly results Wednesday; investors will test FY2026 guidance set in February

Lowe’s Companies is set to report first-quarter results before the opening bell on Wednesday, May 20, with investors focused less on the quarter alone than on whether management keeps the fiscal 2026 targets it laid out in February. The home-improvement chain has scheduled a 9 a.m. ET earnings call the same morning, according to its corporate events page. Investopedia said options markets were implying a sizable post-earnings move, while NBC News grouped Lowe’s with Home Depot, Walmart and Target as this week’s key readouts on consumer spending. ### What exactly are investors testing in this report? Feb. 25 is the date investors keep coming back to. Lowe’s said then that full-year 2026 sales would be $92 billion to $94 billion, with comparable sales flat to up 2%, operating margin of 11.2% to 11.4% and diluted earnings per share of about $11.75 to $12.25. The company gave that outlook alongside fourth-quarter results and after closing the acquisitions of Foundation Building Materials and Artisan Design Group. (corporate.lowes.com) Those February targets matter because they set the baseline for the year. If Lowe’s reaffirms them on Wednesday, investors will have a fresh signal on whether management still sees demand holding up despite a slow housing market and elevated borrowing costs; if it changes them, the revision itself is likely to drive the market reaction. That reading on the setup was reflected in recent preview coverage from Investopedia and Yahoo Finance. (corporate.lowes.com) ### Why is housing still at the center of the Lowe’s story? Yahoo Finance said higher mortgage rates have kept many homeowners from moving, a backdrop that can redirect spending toward repairs, maintenance and renovation rather than home purchases. The same report said Lowe’s has been leaning on its “Total Home” strategy to serve both professional contractors and do-it-yourself shoppers. (finance.yahoo.com) NBC News said Lowe’s results will arrive as households face inflation and high energy costs. That makes the company’s same-store sales, customer traffic and average ticket especially important in Wednesday’s release, because those figures can show whether homeowners are still spending on projects while broader budgets remain under pressure. (finance.yahoo.com) ### What did Lowe’s last report show? Lowe’s reported fourth-quarter 2025 revenue of $20.59 billion on Feb. 25, up 10.9% from a year earlier, according to MarketBeat’s summary of the company’s results. Adjusted diluted earnings per share were $1.98, and comparable sales increased 1.3%, the company said in its release. Lowe’s also disclosed $149 million in pre-tax expenses tied to the FBM and ADG acquisitions. (nbcnews.com) CNBC reported at the time that Lowe’s topped Wall Street expectations even as the home-improvement market remained sluggish. Wednesday’s first-quarter report will show whether that late-fiscal-year momentum carried into the new year. ### What are analysts and traders watching this time? Investopedia said analysts expect Lowe’s sales and profits to rise year over year in the coming report. (corporate.lowes.com) MarketBeat listed consensus expectations of $22.98 billion in revenue and earnings per share of $2.96 for the quarter scheduled for May 20, though those figures come from market data services rather than the company itself. (cnbc.com) Investing.com analyses cited in the broader briefing showed a split view heading into results. One note pointed to a stock price near a 52-week low and a longer-term earnings case, while another said Stifel had cut its price target over margin and sales concerns. Those crosscurrents leave comparable sales and margin commentary as the clearest checkpoints in Wednesday’s release. (finance.yahoo.com) ### Where will the next hard details come from? May 20 is the next firm date on the calendar. Lowe’s said its first-quarter 2026 earnings conference call will begin at 9 a.m. ET on Wednesday, and the company’s press release and webcast materials are slated to be posted on its corporate site. (corporate.lowes.com) (stockanalysis.com)