Core Insights - The third-quarter earnings season is concluding, with significant attention on Nvidia and mixed results from major home improvement retailers Home Depot and Lowe's amid softer demand [1][2]. Home Improvement Sector - Home Depot reported fiscal third-quarter results that fell short of analyst expectations, with adjusted earnings per share at $3.74, missing the expected $3.81 by 1.84% and declining from $3.78 in the prior year [4][3]. - Home Depot's sales reached $41.4 billion, a 2.8% year-over-year increase, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.88%, with approximately $900 million from a recent acquisition [5]. - Comparable sales growth for Home Depot was only 0.2%, significantly below the projected 2.1%, with customer transactions down 1.4% from the previous quarter [6]. - The company lowered its full-year 2025 adjusted earnings forecast due to ongoing consumer uncertainty and weaker housing turnover, leading to a 7% drop in its stock value [7]. Lowe's Performance - Lowe's reported fiscal third-quarter results that exceeded profitability expectations, with total sales of $20.8 billion, up 3.2% year-over-year, aligning closely with estimates [9]. - Adjusted earnings per share for Lowe's reached $3.06, surpassing the anticipated $2.97 by 3% and reflecting a 5.9% increase from the prior year [10]. - Comparable sales for Lowe's rose 0.4% for the second consecutive quarter, supported by an 11.4% increase in online sales and strength in professional categories [10]. - Lowe's stock increased by over 5% in early trading, indicating a better positioning for gradual recovery compared to competitors [11]. Retail Sector Challenges - Target reported a 1.5% year-over-year sales decline to $25.3 billion, missing estimates, with comparable sales down 2.7% [13]. - Target's earnings of $1.78 per share were slightly above estimates, but the bottom line declined 3.8% from the previous year, reflecting cautious consumer spending [14]. - Walmart is set to report its fiscal third-quarter earnings, with projections of a 5.2% increase in earnings per share to $0.61 and revenue expected to reach $177.14 billion, up 4.5% year-over-year [16].