** Shares of home improvement retailer Lowe's LOW.N up ~1% at $274.10 premarket

** Brokerage Gordon Haskett raises rating to “buy” from “hold”, citing signs of gradual improvement

** Raises PT to $325 from $235, representing a premium of about 20% to stock's last close

** Co to benefit from a better housing backdrop and internal productivity initiatives, noting “the tide is turning, and it’s time for the player to shine" - brokerage

** Adds that aging housing stock, backlogs in professional category, supportive legislation and co’s tech-driven margin gains underpin the upgrade

** 23 of 36 brokerages rate the stock "buy" or "higher", 12 "hold" and one "sell"; their median PT is $280 - data compiled by LSEG

** Stock fell about 2% in 2025

(Reporting by Krisha Bhatt in Bengaluru)

((Krisha.Bhatt@thomsonreuters.com;))