Today's reaction is not a verdict on the franchise - it is a verdict on the price.

Home improvement heavyweights Home Depot and Lowe's offered investors another important read on the U.S. consumer and housing market this week after reporting their Q2 results.

HD tops Q2 earnings and sales expectations as project activity, Pro gains and faster digital fulfillment support an unchanged fiscal 2026 outlook.

Home Depot's comp acceleration points to share shift and mix advantage rather than an industry-wide recovery.

Lowe's heads into Q2 earnings with strength in Pro, online and home services, but weak DIY demand and higher costs may weigh on results.

Housing Starts Come in Below Expectations.

Housing Starts, Building Permits, Imports and Exports came in light of expectations this morning.

HD's Q2 sales and adjusted EPS beat estimates as higher average ticket and gross margin gains offset softer transaction volumes.

Look one level beneath the comp and the picture gets more complicated.

Although the revenue and EPS for Home Depot (HD) give a sense of how its business performed in the quarter ended July 2026, it might be worth considering how some key metrics compare with Wall Street estimates and the year-ago numbers.