LOW

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates in September for the first time since 2023, lifting the federal funds target range to 3.75% to 4%, and updated projections showed a strong majority of officials think another increase is possible before year-end. Retail stocks had already spent weeks trading as though that outcome would break the American shopper.

Pershing Square CEO Bill Ackman warned that "hell is coming" in March 2020 before executing a $27 million credit hedge that generated $2.6 billion in proceeds, which he subsequently redeployed into equities during the COVID-19 market crash.

Lowe's (LOW) reported earnings 30 days ago. What's next for the stock?

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Baron Real Estate Fund delivered strong results in the second quarter. The Fund increased 11.89% (Institutional Shares). Shares of Hyatt Hotels Corporation appreciated materially following strong first quarter results and an Investor Day in May that outlined strong long-term growth targets. Shares of AAON, Inc. rose during the quarter following an exceptionally strong earnings report which saw the company see drastically faster growth in its data center business, BasX, than expected.

Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW) Presents at Goldman Sachs Global Consumer and Retail Conference Transcript

Lowe's Companies NYSE: LOW expects the second half of the year to resemble the first half as elevated interest rates and broader uncertainty continue to affect home-improvement spending, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Marvin Ellison said at the Goldman Sachs Global Consumer and Retail Conference.

With existing home sales at historic lows and renovations drying up, both Home Depot and Lowe's face the same brutal headwind, but only one dividend has the cushion and growth runway to outlast a frozen housing market.

A static dividend yield quietly loses ground every month inflation climbs, but five companies have been raising their payouts fast enough to fight back. The question is which ones have the cash flow to keep doing it.

Flock Safety, maker of automated license plate readers, has more than 5,000 private-sector clients. Some consumers are now demanding that companies drop their contracts with Flock.