Core Insights - The home improvement sector is facing challenges due to a weak housing market and economic uncertainty, impacting major players like Home Depot and Lowe's [1][6]. Home Depot - Home Depot's Q3 net sales increased by 2.8% year over year to $41.4 billion, but this figure includes $900 million from the acquisition of GMS Inc. Without this, total sales were essentially flat compared to the previous year [2]. - Comparable sales growth was 0.2%, with a slight 0.1% growth in the U.S. Gross margin remained flat at 33.4% [3]. - Operating income fell by 1.2% year over year to $5.4 billion, and net income declined by 1.3% to $3.6 billion [3]. - CEO Ted Decker noted that while underlying demand remained stable, an anticipated increase in demand did not occur, attributing this to consumer uncertainty and housing market pressures [4]. Lowe's - Lowe's reported a 3% year-over-year increase in total sales to $20.8 billion, with comparable sales growing by 0.4%, driven by strong pro sales and an 11.4% increase in online sales [5]. - The retailer experienced positive comparable sales in 10 out of 14 product categories, including appliances and flooring [5]. - Similar to Home Depot, Lowe's saw a decline in profits, with operating income falling over 2% to $2.5 billion and net income decreasing by 4.7% to $1.6 billion [6]. Market Trends - Big-ticket purchases at Home Depot grew by 2.3%, but there is a noted decline in engagement for larger discretionary projects, which are typically financed by customers [7]. - Both Home Depot and Lowe's have updated their full-year outlooks, including lowering profit forecasts due to ongoing market uncertainties [7].