New York, Feb 11, 2026, 11:07 (ET) — Regular session
- Lowe’s shares down about 0.3% in late morning trade after a 52-week high close on Tuesday
- Building-products distributor QXO jumps as sources detail a Kodiak deal aimed at Home Depot and Lowe’s
- Investors’ next checkpoint: Lowe’s quarterly results and outlook on Feb. 25
Lowe’s Companies Inc (LOW) shares edged down 0.3% to $283.92 on Wednesday, giving back a slice of the prior session’s run-up. The stock traded between $281.31 and $285.23.
The timing matters because Lowe’s is sitting near the top of its one-year range, and traders are getting jumpier about anything that could shift contractor demand. The next two weeks are stacked: macro data that can move rates, and Lowe’s own earnings update.
The broader home-improvement tape was choppy. Home Depot fell 1.3% and building-products maker Masco slid 2.9%, while distributor QXO jumped 11.8% on the session.
Lowe’s closed Tuesday up 2.8% at $284.67, a 52-week high close, outpacing several large retail peers on a mixed day for U.S. stocks, MarketWatch data showed. (MarketWatch)
One item on investors’ radar is intensifying deal activity in building-products distribution, a lane where Lowe’s and Home Depot have been trying to bulk up their professional offerings. QXO has agreed to buy private distributor Kodiak Building Partners for about $2.25 billion, two people familiar with the matter said. The deal would push QXO deeper into categories such as lumber, trusses and gypsum, and comes as high U.S. mortgage rates weigh on new home construction and big repair and renovation projects, the people said. (Reuters)
That backdrop feeds into the bigger question for Lowe’s: how much pro spending it can pull through its network when large projects slow. Pros matter because contractor orders tend to be larger and steadier than do-it-yourself baskets, and they can swing results even when weekend traffic thins out.
Rates are still the drumbeat. U.S. retail sales were unexpectedly unchanged in December, and investors are bracing for the U.S. consumer price index report due Friday for fresh clues on the interest-rate path. (Reuters)
But the setup cuts both ways. A hotter inflation print or sticky borrowing costs can keep housing turnover sluggish, and that usually hits big-ticket categories first — appliances, kitchen remodels, heavy materials — where Lowe’s needs volume to protect margins.
For Lowe’s specifically, the next company catalyst is Feb. 25, when it is scheduled to host its earnings conference call. Investors will be listening for its outlook and what it says about demand trends and pricing as spring selling season approaches. (Lowes)
