Lowe’s Cuts Outlook as Soft Housing Market Curbs Demand

Markets Contact us:Provide news feedback or report an error Confidential tip?Send a tip to our reporters Site feedback:Take our Survey By Judy Lagrou and Lily Meier August 19, 2026 at 10:16 AM UTC Updated on August 19, 2026 at 10:55 AM UTC Lowe’s Cos. cut its outlook for the full year after posting results that missed Wall Street estimates, showing how a stubbornly weak housing market is eroding the home-improvement retailer’s performance. The company now expects comparable sales to be flat this fiscal year, after previously forecasting as much as 2% growth. Comparable sales, which measure results at locations open at least a year, grew 0.2% in the second quarter, missing the average of estimates compiled by Bloomberg.