1258 ET - Upcoming quarterly results from Home Depot and Lowe's should soothe some investor worries, helping shares start to rise heading into the spring selling season, UBS analysts say in a note. The companies will likely point to improved trends after consumers were hesitant to work on home improvement in November given the government shutdown and headlines about widespread layoffs, the analysts say. Lowe's in particular seemed to see steady top-line trends in the quarter with stable demand from small- to medium-sized pros and ongoing strength in its e-commerce segment and appliances category, they say. While the fourth-quarter results might seem like low impact events at first glance, they "should provide validation for the bull cases on these stocks," the analysts say. (kelly.cloonan@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 17, 2026 12:58 ET (17:58 GMT)

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