Lowe's cuts annual guidance amid discretionary spending slowdown

(Updated - November 21, 2023 6:40 AM EST)

Investing.com -- Lowe’s (NYSE: LOW) has lowered its full-year financial guidance, as the home improvement retailer said it was hit by a larger-than-anticipated pullback in consumer spending on big-ticket items in its third quarter.

The North Carolina-based company said it now expects to deliver annual adjusted diluted earnings per share of about $13.00, down from its prior outlook of $13.20 to $13.60, although the reporting period is one week shorter than the prior year. The projection for total sales was also slashed to approximately $86 billion from a range of $87B-$89B.

Lowe's announcement points to somewhat dour expectations for the group's current quarter, which includes the crucial holiday shopping season. Like rival Home Depot (NYSE: HD), the firm has faced a slowdown in purchases of pricier items, in a sign that inflation-squeezed customers are reining in spending on major at-home projects.

In the three months ended on Nov. 3, Lowe's Chairman Marvin Ellison said this downturn in DIY spending was "greater-than-expected [...] particularly in bigger ticket categories."

"Given our 75% DIY mix, the DIY pressure disproportionately impacted our third quarter [comparative] performance," Ellison noted. However, he added that this headwind was partially offset by strength at its Pro business, which supplies materials to professional builders, contractors and handymen.

Per-share income during the quarter came in at $3.06, while net sales slipped by 13 percent versus the corresponding period last year to $20.47B. Bloomberg consensus estimates had seen the figures at $3.07 and $20.91B, respectively.

Shares in Lowe's slumped in premarket U.S. trading on Tuesday.

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