Stock compare · SEC 10-K data · delayed price October 2, 2026

HD vs LOW: is Home Depot or Lowe's the better stock?

HD scores higher on fundamentals: Home Depot (HD) earns 45/100 on WealthyBud’s Investor Score versus 44/100 for Lowe's (LOW). Home Depot reported $164.7B revenue at an 8.6% net margin (FY2026), growing +3.2%; Lowe's reported $86.3B at 7.7%, growing +3.1% (FY2026). At delayed prices, HD trades at 20.0× earnings and LOW at 15.3×. Research, not investment advice.

How do HD and LOW compare at a glance?

The table puts Home Depot and Lowe's side by side on 20 figures from each company's latest SEC 10-K, plus market cap, P/E, P/S and yield at a delayed share price. The stronger figure in each row is bold; for P/E, P/S and debt, lower counts as stronger.

HD vs LOW fundamentals — SEC 10-K data, delayed price as of October 2, 2026 (stronger figure in bold)
MetricHDLOW
Fiscal year (latest 10-K)FY2026FY2026
Revenue$164.7B$86.3B
Net income$14.2B$6.7B
Gross margin33.3%33.5%
Operating margin12.7%11.8%
Net margin8.6%7.7%
Revenue growth (YoY)+3.2%+3.1%
3-year revenue CAGR+1.5%-3.8%
Diluted EPS growth-4.6%-3.1%
Return on equity110%n/a
Return on assets13.5%12.3%
Market cap (delayed)$282.6B$101.7B
P/E ratio20.015.3
Price / sales1.71.2
Dividend yield3.25%2.62%
Cash$1.4B$982.0M
Long-term debt$46.3B$37.5B
Debt to equity3.62n/a
Current ratio1.061.08
Investor Score45/10044/100

Home Depot's fiscal 2025 ran from February 3, 2025 to February 1, 2026 and Lowe's fiscal 2025 from February 1, 2025 to January 30, 2026; both companies call it fiscal 2025, and WealthyBud labels it FY2026 by the calendar year it ends. Home Depot's fiscal 2024 had 53 weeks, so its revenue growth compares 52 weeks with 53. Lowe's reported a shareholders' deficit of $9.9 billion, so its return on equity and debt to equity are not meaningful and show n/a. Long-term debt for both includes finance lease obligations.

Which is more profitable, Home Depot or Lowe's?

Home Depot keeps more of each revenue dollar, with an 8.6% net margin against 7.7% for Lowe's in FY2026. Return on assets is 13.47% at Home Depot and 12.29% at Lowe's. Home Depot's return on equity is 110%; Lowe's reports a shareholders' deficit of $9.9B, so its ROE is not meaningful.

Which company is growing faster?

Home Depot's revenue grew 3.2% in its latest fiscal year and 1.5% a year over three years. Lowe's revenue grew 3.1% and fell 3.8% a year over the same span. Diluted EPS fell 4.6% at HD and 3.1% at LOW.

Five fiscal years of revenue, HD vs LOW (SEC 10-K)
Fiscal year (HD / LOW)HDLOW
FY2026 / FY2026$164.7B$86.3B
FY2025 / FY2025$159.5B$83.7B
FY2024 / FY2024$152.7B$86.4B
FY2023 / FY2023$157.4B$97.1B
FY2022 / FY2022$151.2B$96.2B

Is HD or LOW cheaper to buy?

At delayed prices as of October 2, 2026, HD trades at 20.0 times earnings and 1.7 times sales with a $282.6B market cap; LOW trades at 15.3 times earnings and 1.2 times sales at $101.7B. Dividend yields are 3.25% and 2.62%.

Which has the stronger balance sheet?

Home Depot ended FY2026 with $1.4B in cash and $46.3B of long-term debt, a 3.62 debt-to-equity ratio. Lowe's ended FY2026 with $982.0M in cash and $37.5B of long-term debt, and a shareholders' deficit of $9.9B, so debt to equity is n/a. Current ratios are 1.06 and 1.08.

How do HD and LOW score on the Investor Score?

HD scores 45/100 (#59 of 103) and LOW scores 44/100 (#61 of 103) on WealthyBud's Investor Score as of October 2, 2026. Subscores for HD: growth 27, profitability 20, returns on capital 86, balance-sheet strength 24, value (valuation) 80. For LOW: growth 23, profitability 19, returns on capital 70, balance-sheet strength 45, value (valuation) 85. Percentile ranks, not advice.

HD vs LOW FAQ

Is HD or LOW the better stock?
On WealthyBud's fundamentals-based Investor Score, HD scores 45/100 and LOW scores 44/100 as of October 2, 2026. HD leads on net margin and latest-year revenue growth in the latest 10-Ks. The score is research, not a buy or sell call.
Which company makes more revenue, Home Depot or Lowe's?
Home Depot reported $164.7B and Lowe's $86.3B in revenue in their latest 10-Ks.
Which is cheaper, HD or LOW?
By price to earnings, HD trades at 20.0 and LOW at 15.3 using delayed prices as of October 2, 2026, so LOW is cheaper on earnings. On price to sales, LOW is also cheaper: 1.2 versus 1.7 for HD.
Which pays a higher dividend, HD or LOW?
HD declared $9.20 per share in FY2026, a 3.25% yield at the delayed price; LOW declared $4.75, a 2.62% yield. HD pays the higher yield of the two at those prices.
Which has more debt, Home Depot or Lowe's?
Lowe's carries $37.5B of long-term debt and a shareholders' deficit of $9.9B, so its debt to equity is not meaningful; Home Depot carries $46.3B against $12.8B of equity (debt to equity 3.62). Home Depot has more long-term debt in dollars, per their latest 10-Ks.
Do HD and LOW report on the same fiscal year?
Home Depot's fiscal 2025 ran from February 3, 2025 to February 1, 2026 and Lowe's fiscal 2025 from February 1, 2025 to January 30, 2026; both companies call it fiscal 2025, and WealthyBud labels it FY2026 by the calendar year it ends. Home Depot's fiscal 2024 had 53 weeks, so its revenue growth compares 52 weeks with 53. Lowe's reported a shareholders' deficit of $9.9 billion, so its return on equity and debt to equity are not meaningful and show n/a. Long-term debt for both includes finance lease obligations. Figures on this page use each company's own latest annual report.
Fundamentals from each company's latest Form 10-K (SEC EDGAR). Valuation uses a delayed price. The Investor Score is a data-derived research opinion. Not investment advice.

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Whitney Sato Senior Equity Analyst

Whitney Sato is a senior equity analyst who covers diversified large-cap equities and leads WealthyBud's stock-page review process. She checks fundamental figures against SEC EDGAR filings before any stock page publishes.

Editorial persona: WealthyBud bylines are editorial personas, not real individuals. Pages are produced by the WealthyBud research team from the public data cited on each page.