Lowe's Cos. (NYSE: LOW) reported Q4 EPS of $0.74, $0.12 worse than the analyst estimate of $0.86. Revenue for the quarter came in at $15.5 billion versus the consensus estimate of $15.33 billion.

Comparable sales for the U.S. home improvement business increased 3.7 percent for the fourth quarter and 3.9 percent for the fiscal year.

GUIDANCE:

• Lowe's Cos. sees FY2018 EPS of $5.40-$5.50, versus the consensus of $5.85.
• Total sales are expected to increase approximately 4 percent.
• Comparable sales are expected to increase approximately 3.5 percent.
• The company expects to add approximately 10 home improvement and hardware stores.
• Operating income as a percentage of sales (operating margin) is expected to decrease approximately 30 basis points.2
• The effective income tax rate is expected to be approximately 25.5%.

For earnings history and earnings-related data on Lowe's Cos. (LOW) click here.