Core Viewpoint - Investors are closely monitoring the upcoming earnings reports from Home Depot and Lowe's for indications of improvement in the home and garden market, which has been facing several challenges [1][2]. Industry Summary - The home and garden retail sector is experiencing difficulties due to a sluggish housing market, tariffs, high interest rates, and consumer caution regarding large purchases. Despite overall retail growth from May to July, building materials and garden supply retailers reported year-over-year declines of at least 4% [2]. - Home Depot and Lowe's have been gaining market share from smaller competitors, benefiting from their strong brand presence and competitive pricing strategies [3]. Company Summary - Home Depot reported total sales of $39.9 billion for its first quarter, reflecting a 9.4% year-over-year increase, although comparable sales decreased by 0.2% due to foreign exchange impacts [4]. - Lowe's experienced a decline in total sales from $21.4 billion to $20.9 billion year-over-year, with comparable sales down 1.7%. The company attributed this drop to unfavorable weather conditions, though it noted growth in online sales and its professional business segment [5]. - Lowe's emphasized its commitment to customer service, achieving the 1 ranking in Customer Satisfaction among Home Improvement Retailers according to J.D. Power. The company is focusing on strategic investments in technology and store environments to enhance customer experience [6].

Core Insights - Lowe's (LOW) and Home Depot (HD) are in a competitive market, both facing challenges as consumer spending on big-ticket home improvement items has decreased post-COVID [1][15] - Both companies have underperformed relative to the S&P 500 in 2025, reflecting a similar trajectory in their stock performances [1][7] Analyst Expectations - Analysts have not revised EPS and sales estimates for both companies recently, with LOW expected to see 1.5% EPS growth on 3.4% higher sales, while HD is projected to have a 5.4% increase in EPS with 1.0% sales growth [3] - Despite LOW's anticipated stronger sales growth, HD has shown more resilience in its top line, with year-over-year (YoY) growth rates turning positive after previous declines [4][5] Sales and Performance Metrics - LOW's YoY sales growth rates have been negative since early 2023, while HD's sales have shown improvement with a smaller YoY decline of 0.3% compared to LOW's 1.7% [8][10] - HD's shares trade at a forward 12-month earnings multiple of 25.3X, a 29% premium over LOW's 19.6X, indicating a historical premium for HD [9] Market Environment - Both companies are navigating a challenging demand environment post-COVID, with rising interest rates contributing to softer consumer demand [15][16] - Guidance from Home Depot's earnings report will be crucial for LOW's expectations, as both companies maintain a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) [17]

Welcome to Yahoo Finance's flagship show, The Morning Brief. I'm Julie Heyman. Let's get to the three things you need to know today.First up, US stock futures wavering with major averages trading within points of their record highs. Investors will be closely watching everything from central banks to geopolitics this week. President Trump is set to meet with Ukrainian President Vudamir Zilinski this afternoon following his summit with Vladimir Putin on Friday.A resol resolution in the Ukraine war could be a ...

I'm the finance executive editor Brian Saz and you're taking a look at a live shot of the opening bells on Wall Street on this Monday morning. Megaish ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange and CTW Cayman, a gaming platform company getting things popping over there at the NASDAQ. Now, there will be no shortage of market moving events this week.Ukraine President Vladimir Zalinski will be back in Washington after President Trump met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin last week. Other Europea ...

Geopolitics and Macroeconomics - Investors are focused on President Trump's meeting with Ukraine's president and European allies, seeking clarity on commitments made to Vladimir Putin [1][3][4] - The market anticipates potential interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve in September, influenced by recent US jobs and inflation data [8] - Economist Mark Summerland suggests a 50 basis points rate cut next month, citing a slowing economy and an inverted yield curve [9][11] Retail Sector - Big box retailers like Walmart, Target, and Home Depot are in focus this week as they report earnings [6] - July retail sales grew 05%, driven by car dealerships, furniture stores, and online spending, but consumer sentiment remains below last year, falling 5% to 586% [6][7] - Target is expected to report potentially lowered guidance, with about 50% of their cost of goods sold tied to imports and tariffs [28] - Home Depot and Lowe's stocks have risen, pricing in a potential rate cut from the Federal Reserve in September, which could improve remodeling trends [30][31] - Walmart is expected to report strong sales and reaffirm guidance, benefiting from lower prices, a larger grocery section, and a better website [34][35][36] Energy Sector - Vestas' shares rose over 16% after the Treasury Department and IRS issued guidance on tax credits for clean energy projects [16][17] - Sunrun's stock jumped almost a third, up over 2%, after the Trump administration released new guidance on tax credits for renewable projects [18][19] - Oil prices are holding steady as traders await clues from the meeting between President Trump and President Zelensky [20] Trending Tickers - Nova Nordisk's stock is getting a boost after receiving FDA approval for Wegovy to treat a serious form of liver disease [43] - Soho House is set to go private in a deal worth $28 billion, with investors paying $9 a share [47] - Palo Alto Networks is set to report fourth-quarter earnings, with analysts expecting adjusted earnings of 89 cents per share on revenue of $25 billion [50]

Core Insights - Home Depot is set to release its second-quarter earnings on August 19, with analysts expecting earnings of $4.69 per share, an increase from $4.60 in the same period last year, and projected revenue of $45.31 billion, up from $43.17 billion year-over-year [1] Group 1: Earnings Expectations - Analysts anticipate Home Depot's quarterly earnings to be $4.69 per share, compared to $4.60 per share in the previous year [1] - The company is projected to report quarterly revenue of $45.31 billion, an increase from $43.17 billion in the same quarter last year [1] Group 2: Dividend Insights - Home Depot currently offers an annual dividend yield of 2.30%, translating to a quarterly dividend of $2.30 per share, or $9.20 annually [2] - To achieve a monthly income of $500 from dividends, an investment of approximately $260,396 or around 652 shares is required, while a more modest goal of $100 per month would need about $51,919 or 130 shares [2] Group 3: Stock Price and Dividend Yield - The dividend yield can fluctuate based on changes in both the dividend payment and the stock price [3][5] - For instance, if a stock's price increases, the dividend yield decreases, and vice versa [4] Group 4: Analyst Ratings - Truist Securities analyst Scot Ciccarelli has maintained a Buy rating on Home Depot and raised the price target from $417 to $433 [6] - Telsey Advisory Group analyst Joseph Feldman has also maintained an Outperform rating with a price target of $455 [6] Group 5: Recent Stock Performance - Home Depot's shares fell by 0.2%, closing at $399.38 on the last trading day [5]

Group 1 - Home Depot is expected to announce its fiscal second-quarter earnings on August 19, 2025, with analysts predicting earnings of $4.70 per share and revenue of $45.37 billion, reflecting a 2% increase in earnings and a 5% rise in sales year-over-year [3] - The company has a current market capitalization of $400 billion, with revenue over the past twelve months at $163 billion, operating profits of $22 billion, and net income of $15 billion [3] - Historical data indicates that Home Depot stock has dropped 55% of the time after earnings announcements, with a median one-day decline of 2.2% and a maximum observed decrease of 9% [3] Group 2 - In the past five years, there have been 20 earnings data points for Home Depot, with 9 positive and 11 negative one-day returns, resulting in positive returns approximately 45% of the time [5] - The percentage of positive one-day returns increases to 58% when considering data from the last three years [5] - The median of the 9 positive returns is 1.7%, while the median of the 11 negative returns is -2.2% [5] Group 3 - The company is focused on maintaining prices despite tariff pressures, leveraging its scale, supplier relationships, and diversified supply chain to absorb costs and potentially capture market share as competitors raise prices [3] - In Q1, Home Depot experienced strong demand for smaller projects and seasonal activities, although high interest rates have deterred consumers from larger renovation projects [3]

Core Viewpoint - Home Depot and Lowe's are set to report their Q2 earnings, with both companies showing positive stock momentum despite earlier tariff challenges. The upcoming earnings reports will be critical in assessing their recovery and future performance [1][11]. Group 1: Q2 Earnings Expectations - Home Depot's Q2 sales are projected to increase by 5% to $45.51 billion, up from $43.18 billion a year ago, with earnings expected to rise by approximately 1% to $4.71 per share from $4.67 [2]. - Lowe's Q2 sales are anticipated to grow nearly 2% to $23.99 billion compared to $23.59 billion in the prior period, with EPS expected to increase by 3% to $4.24 from $4.10 [3]. Group 2: Tariff Strategies - Lowe's has been more affected by tariff increases due to its reliance on imports from China, Canada, and Mexico. The CEO has emphasized competitive pricing and internal strategies to mitigate customer impact, including supply chain diversification and product redesign [4]. - Home Depot has a more diversified supply chain, sourcing over 50% of its products from U.S. suppliers, and has managed to shield customers from tariff impacts by avoiding aggressive price increases [5]. Group 3: Valuation Comparison - Lowe's stock is valued at 20.5X forward earnings, which is lower than Home Depot's 26.6X. Lowe's also trades below the industry average of 21X and the S&P 500's 24.7X [8]. - Home Depot's price-to-sales ratio stands at 2.4X, while Lowe's is below the optimal level of less than 2X [8]. Group 4: Dividend Comparison - Home Depot offers a 2.3% annual dividend yield, which is higher than Lowe's 1.9%. Both companies' dividends exceed the industry average of 1.06% and the S&P 500's average of 1.15% [10]. Group 5: Investment Outlook - The upcoming Q2 reports will be crucial for both companies to determine if they have moved past tariff challenges. Home Depot is viewed as a more favorable investment due to its diversified supply chain, while Lowe's may appeal to investors looking for a cheaper stock price [11].

Market Trends & Economic Factors - Investors tempered rate cut hopes amid mixed economic data, but major averages remained on solid footing for the week [1] - Coffee prices spiked 145% in July compared to last year, with the average retail price for a pound of ground coffee hitting $841 [3][4] - Tariffs on Brazilian coffee imports, which account for over a third of US unroasted coffee imports, are expected to exacerbate rising coffee prices [4][6] - The US dollar index was down on the week [29] Coffee Industry Analysis - The US coffee industry has limited capacity to replace Brazilian coffee imports with alternative sources like Vietnam, Indonesia, or Ethiopia due to inelastic supply [7][8][9] - Domestic coffee production in the US (Hawaii and Puerto Rico) accounts for approximately 1% of consumption, with limited capacity for expansion [11][12] - Coffee roasters will likely need to both absorb tariff costs and pass them on to consumers, as food companies generally operate on thin margins [13][15] - Coffee price inflation is expected to continue climbing for the next 3-5 months, with producer price index (PPI) increases foreshadowing further retail price gains [17][18][20][21] - Tariffs on steel and aluminum could further impact the coffee supply chain due to packaging and capital input costs [22] Stock Market & Investment Insights - The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) crossed into record intraday high territory, up 174% for the week [24][25] - Healthcare (XLV) led sector gains, up 46%, while cannabis (MJ) and solar (TAN) ETFs also performed strongly due to potential regulatory changes and executive orders [29][30][31] - Bitcoin experienced a "rugpull" after reaching a new record high, while Ethereum was up 22% month-to-date [35][36] - Market rotation is occurring, with money moving into previously unloved sectors [34] Automotive Industry & Infiniti - Infiniti is launching the QX65, a fastback SUV, aiming to attract more customers in the competitive midsize SUV segment, with a launch expected in Spring 2026 [41][42] - Infiniti is undergoing a product renaissance, with strong sales for the QX80 and QX60, planning to launch one new vehicle per year [43][44] - Infiniti is exploring increasing horsepower and torque by more than 50% for the QX80 track pack, targeting 650+ horsepower and 750 torque [47] - Infiniti paused QX50 production in the US but increased QX60 production in the US to optimize delivery in response to tariffs [49] - Infiniti plans to offer a balanced portfolio of internal combustion engine, hybrid, and electric vehicles [52][53] Retail Earnings Outlook - Home Depot's same-store sales are estimated to increase almost 2% for Q2, but weakness in discretionary categories may stall revenue growth [57] - Target's store visits might slow to the low single digits in Q2, with investors watching for updates on the Ulta partnership [58] - Walmart is expected to see low revenue growth due to high inflation and value-seeking consumers, but price rollbacks and e-commerce offerings may boost store visits and same-store sales [59] - Tariffs are a potential factor that could negatively impact Walmart's earnings [60]

value has been quietly outperforming growth this month. He says the shift is real. Joining me now, Charles Bravinskoy, vice chairman of Aerial Investments.It's good to see you today, Charlie. Okay, first of all, what do you make of the investments in uh Dr. . Horton and Lenar because you know I was looking at the front page of the Wall Street Journal right before I came on.Nobody's buying homes. Nobody's switching jobs. That's the headline.Yeah, I think uh it's clearly Buffett related here. He Buffett think ...