Lowe’s Maintains Full-Year Forecast After Beating Estimates

Lowe’s Companies Inc. (NYSE: LOW) reported third-quarter 2015 results before markets opened Wednesday. The home improvement retailer posted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.80 and $14.4 billion in revenues. In the same period a year ago, Lowe’s reported EPS of $0.59 on revenue of $13.68 billion. Third-quarter results also compare to the Thomson Reuters consensus estimates for EPS of $0.78 and $14.31 billion in revenue.

Same-store sales increased 4.6% in the quarter and were up 4.6% for the first nine months of the year. Net income rose 25.8% in the quarter to $736 million.

The company reaffirmed that full-year 2015 sales are expected to rise 4.5% to 5.0% year over year and same-store sales are pegged to increase 4.0% to 4.5%. Diluted earnings per share continue to be forecast at approximately $3.29, compared with 2014 EPS of $2.70. The consensus analysts’ estimate for EPS is currently $3.28 and the revenue estimate is $58.87 billion. Lowe’s posted sales of $56.22 billion in 2014, and using the range the company has forecast, 2015 sales should come in between $58.75 billion and $59.03 billion.

Lowe’s CEO Robert Niblock said:

Comparable sales growth was driven by gains in both transactions and average ticket, while our focus on productivity and profitability also allowed us to deliver strong earnings per share growth.

The company said it repurchased $750 million worth of stock under its share buyback program and paid $260 million in dividends in the third quarter.

Shares of Lowe’s closed up about 1.7% on Tuesday, at $72.85 in a 52-week range of $57.96 to $76.25. The stock traded up more than 2% in Wednesday’s premarket session to $74.40. Thomson Reuters had a consensus analyst price target of $79.09 before the results were announced. The highest price target is $80.78.

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