LOEWS ON THE BRINK: PROFITS SOAR, BUT FEARS LOOM!
SHOCKING STOCK SLIDE! Lowe’s Shares Take a Nosedive!
In a jaw-dropping twist on Wall Street, Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) saw its stock remain in the green on Thursday, despite an alarming 9% plunge over the past three months! Get this: the home improvement giant just dropped its fourth-quarter 2024 report, and while it’s better than expected, dark clouds hover over its future.
PRO POWER: ARE THEY SAVING THE DAY?
Lowe’s rang in a whopping $18.6 billion in total sales for Q4 2024, holding steady year-over-year. But wait—here’s where it gets juicy! Comparable sales crept up a measly 0.2%, thanks to a surge in high-single-digit sales from Pro customers and online shoppers, not to mention a bit of hurricane chaos boosting sales! Those Pro customer transactions soared high across different regions, thanks to Lowe’s revamped Pro loyalty program, MyLowe’s Pro Rewards. They’re going all out for small and medium-sized Pros, hoping this bait hooks more buyers and keeps them coming back for more!
Online sales? They skyrocketed by 9.5%! Who knew a little storm could rain cash? But before you pop the champagne, there’s a storm brewing just beneath the surface.
CRUNCH TIME: DIY DAREDEVILS UNDER PRESSURE!
DIY fans, brace yourselves! Pressure is mounting as consumers hesitate over bigger project spending! In Q4, Lowe’s reported a 1.3% drop in comparable transactions, as fears of inflation and steep mortgage rates weigh heavily on wallets. The average ticket price? It edged up by 1.5%, driven by appliance sales and storm recovery projects, but the cloud of caution looms large.
THE FUTURE IS FOGGY: A WARNING SHOT!
What’s next for Lowe’s? Brace yourselves, because the outlook is murky! The home improvement market is in turmoil, especially for those big-ticket items. With mortgage sales still skyrocketing, the existing home sales market is under threat, and Lowe’s predicts the home improvement realm to remain flat in the coming year, with Pros leading the charge while DIY projects tank.
Lowe’s is forecasting total sales between $83.5 billion and $84.5 billion for fiscal year 2025, with comparable sales looking flat to only 1% higher than last year. It’s a wild ride, folks, with EPS predictions ranging from $12.15 to $12.40. Are we witnessing the beginning of a new disaster in home improvement? Buckle up for this rollercoaster!
