Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 12.250-12.75 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 12.260. The company issued revenue guidance of $92.0 billion-$94.0 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $86.1 billion.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on LOW. Guggenheim raised their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $280.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Barclays upgraded shares of Lowe’s Companies from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $285.00 price target on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Lowe’s Companies from $252.00 to $257.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $305.00 target price on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Lowe’s Companies in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Twenty-one analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $290.86.

Lowe’s Companies Trading Down 0.6%

LOW traded down $1.62 during trading on Friday, hitting $262.77. The stock had a trading volume of 440,446 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,883,542. The firm has a market cap of $147.40 billion, a PE ratio of 22.16, a P/E/G ratio of 4.24 and a beta of 0.97. Lowe’s Companies has a 12 month low of $206.38 and a 12 month high of $293.06. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $266.42 and a 200-day simple moving average of $254.31.

Lowe’s Companies (NYSE:LOW) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The home improvement retailer reported $1.98 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.94 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $20.58 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.34 billion. Lowe’s Companies had a negative return on equity of 61.40% and a net margin of 7.71%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.93 earnings per share. Lowe’s Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 12.250-12.75 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Lowe’s Companies will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Lowe’s Companies

In other news, CEO Marvin R. Ellison sold 18,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.17, for a total transaction of $4,701,060.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 231,043 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $60,341,500.31. This represents a 7.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.27% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Lowe’s Companies

Here are the key news stories impacting Lowe’s Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — EPS of $1.98 and revenue of $20.58B (up ~10.9% YoY), with strength in Pro, online and home services that shows resilience vs. the weak housing backdrop. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Macro tailwind developing — 30?year mortgage rates fell below 6%, which could boost home sales and big?ticket renovations into spring and benefit Lowe’s sales trajectory if the trend continues. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Operational initiatives and cost focus — management targets $1B of productivity gains for FY2026 and highlights AI and digital tools (plus partnerships like Affirm) to drive Pro and online growth, which can support margins over time. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst moves — several firms (Goldman, Guggenheim, Wells Fargo, Rothschild/Redburn, etc.) raised price targets into the ~$290–$300 range while others trimmed targets or kept neutral ratings; net effect is divergent broker views creating volatility rather than clear directional conviction. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary notes that recent weather-driven demand (storms) temporarily boosted comps (+50 bps cited) and Pro demand is offsetting DIY weakness — useful context but raises questions about sustainability. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Conservative FY?2026 guidance and headcount cuts weighed on sentiment — management’s cautious outlook for sales/profit and announcement of ~600 corporate layoffs prompted the post?earnings selloff and kept near?term expectations muted. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Unusual options activity and put buying — elevated put volume signals some investors are hedging or betting on further downside, increasing near?term downside risk/volatility. Article Title

Institutional Trading of Lowe’s Companies

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. raised its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 6,140 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,481,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. now owns 3,430 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $827,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Foresight Global Investors Inc. raised its position in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. Foresight Global Investors Inc. now owns 1,192 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $287,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. Invenio Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in Lowe’s Companies by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. Invenio Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,277 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $321,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Paces Ferry Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. Paces Ferry Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,554 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $390,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Lowe’s Companies Company Profile

Lowe’s Companies, Inc is a leading home improvement retailer that operates large-format stores and digital channels serving both do-it-yourself homeowners and professional contractors. The company offers a broad assortment of products including building materials, lumber, appliances, tools and hardware, plumbing and electrical supplies, paint, flooring, kitchen and bath fixtures, outdoor and garden products, and home decor. Lowe’s also provides a range of services such as installation, home improvement financing, tool and equipment rental, and contractor-focused sales programs.

Operations are centered on a nationwide brick-and-mortar store network supported by distribution centers and an e-commerce platform that enables online ordering, delivery and in-store pickup.