Topic: How To Invest

Q: Pat, can I get your opinion of Lowe’s? Thank you.

Article Excerpt

A: Lowe’s Cos., $111.04, symbol LOW on New York (Shares outstanding: 766.5 million; Market cap: $85.1 billion; www.lowes.com), operates a chain of 1,977 hardware and home improvement superstores in the U.S. and Canada. Product categories include appliances, lumber/plywood, paint, flooring, millwork, building materials, seasonal living, fashion plumbing, tools, hardware, lighting, and more. The company has about 300,000 employees. Lowe’s has reported steadily increasing revenue over the last five years (fiscal years end January 31). Revenue rose 28.3%, from $56.22 billion in 2015, to $72.15 billion in 2019. Earnings improved 39.0%, from $3.08 billion ($3.29 per share) to $4.28 billion ($5.49 per share). In the three months ended January 31, 2020, the company’s revenue rose 2.4%, to $16.03 billion from $15.65 billion, a year earlier. Comparable-store sales climbed 2.5% overall and 2.6% in the U.S. Lowe’s continues to show steady improvement across a number of its geographic areas and product categories, with appliances, hardware, lawn/garden, electrical, tools, paint, decor, and millwork showing particular…