Mooresville-based Lowe’s 4Q results surge as people plow money into homes

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Lowe’s Cos. extended its strong sales streak through the holiday season as customers kept investing in their homes during the pandemic.

The nation’s second largest home improvement retailer behind Home Depot reported that fourth-quarter profits almost doubled from a year ago, while sales rose 27%. Both results surpassed Wall Street expectations. Sales at stores opened at least a year soared nearly 29%, following a 30.4% increase in the fiscal third quarter.

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The strong showing, announced Wednesday, followed results from Home Depot, which reported Tuesday that fourth-quarter sales surged 25%. Global sales at Home Depot stores open at least a year, a key indicator of a retailer’s health, climbed 24.5%, and by 25% if only U.S. stores are counted.

Home improvement stores have become hot destinations during the pandemic with millions working from home and attending school remotely. Many Americans have found the time to update their homes or change their homes to add home offices and other elements.

On Tuesday, the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city home price index recorded a 10.1% spike in December, compared with the same month last year. That topped the 9.2% jump the previous month, and all other months going back almost seven years.

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Against this environment, Lowe’s, based in Mooresville, North Carolina, reported fiscal fourth-quarter net income of $978 million, or $1.32 per share, for the quarter ended Jan. 29. That compares with $509 million, or 66 cents per share, in the year-earlier period. Earnings, adjusted for restructuring costs for the latest period, were $1.33 per share.

The average estimate of 13 analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.22 per share.

The home improvement retailer posted revenue of $20.31 billion in the period, compared with $16.03 billion in the year-earlier quarter. Eight analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $19.54 billion.

Lowe’s shares edged higher in premarket trading Wednesday.