---
title: "Lowe’s Cos. Home Depot vs. Lowe’s: Which home improvement stock to own into earnings?"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/286506166.md"
description: "Wolfe Research is bullish on the home improvement sector, favoring Lowe’s over Home Depot ahead of earnings. They raised Lowe’s same-store sales forecast to 1.0% due to improving DIY trends and seasonal demand, while Home Depot's estimate remains at 0.5%. Wolfe maintained 'Outperform' ratings for both, raising price targets to $416 for Home Depot and $288 for Lowe’s. Despite challenges in the housing market, mixed signals in the industry suggest potential near-term sales momentum."
datetime: "2026-05-15T02:01:01.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/286506166.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286506166.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/286506166.md)
---

# Lowe’s Cos. Home Depot vs. Lowe’s: Which home improvement stock to own into earnings?

Investing.com - Wolfe Research struck a bullish tone on the home improvement sector ahead of first-quarter earnings, saying sentiment around housing and renovation stocks appears worse than underlying demand trends.Despite the near-term improvement in demand, the firm said the broader housing backdrop remains challenging due to elevated mortgage rates and sluggish existing home sales, which executives have described as a “frozen” market.The firm has favored Lowe’s Companies over The Home Depot into the results season.The brokerage raised its same-store sales forecast for Lowe’s to 1.0% growth from 0.5%, citing improving DIY trends, stronger spring selling activity, warmer weather, and tax refund-driven spending in categories such as paint and garden supplies. Analysts said better-than-expected customer traffic accounted for most of the upside.For Home Depot, analysts at Wolfe kept its first-quarter same-store sales estimate largely unchanged at 0.5%, slightly below consensus expectations of 0.8%, noting softer momentum in cyclical and rate-sensitive categories including roofing and remodeling.Wolfe maintained “Outperform” ratings on both companies, raising its price target for Home Depot to $416 from $413 and for Lowe’s to $288 from $285. The brokerage argued that valuations for both retailers remain attractive relative to the broader market, even as concerns persist over large professional contractor initiatives and long-term margin pressures.The note also highlighted mixed industry signals, with strength in paint and roofing offset by weakness in appliances and flooring. Analysts at Wolfe added that warmer weather and seasonal demand trends could continue supporting near-term sales momentum heading into the spring and summer home improvement season

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