Why Lowe's Companies (LOW) Shares Are Sliding Today - Lowe's Companies (NYSE:LOW)

Lowe's Companies Inc LOW reported fourth-quarter FY22 sales growth of 5.2% year-on-year to $22.45 billion, missing the consensus of $22.69 billion.
Comparable sales decreased 1.5%, while comparable sales for the U.S. home improvement business fell 0.7%.
Adjusted EPS of $2.28 beat the analyst consensus of $2.21.
Gross profit rose 3.3% Y/Y to $7.3 billion, with a profit margin contracting 60 basis points to 32.33%.
Operating margin contracted 108 basis points to 7.59%, and operating income for the quarter fell 7.8% to $1.7 billion.
The company held $1.7 billion in cash and equivalents as of Feb. 3, 2023. Net cash provided by operating activities for the year totaled $8.6 billion.
The company returned $16.5 billion to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends in 2022.
Outlook: Lowe's expects FY23 revenue of $88 billion - $90 billion, against the Street view of $90.48 billion.
FY23 EPS forecast ranges at $13.60 - $14.00, against the consensus of $13.79.
LOW expects FY23 comparable sales to be flat to down 2%, capital expenditure of $2 billion, and an operating margin of 13.6% - 13.8%.
Price Action: LOW shares are trading lower by 4.91% at $195.65 on the last check Wednesday.

Lowe's Slides On Street-Missing FY23 Sales Outlook, Mixed Q4 Performance