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FND vs LOW
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Floor & Decor Holdings, Inc. (FND) vs. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (LOW) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Both firms posted Q1‑2024 earnings beats, but FND saw a sharper revenue decline (‑4.3% YoY) versus LOW (‑4.4% YoY), highlighting stronger consumer pressure on discretionary home‑improvement spending.
- FND reported a lower gross‑margin (42.8% vs. 33.2% at LOW) but leveraged higher operating leverage, resulting in a net loss of $0.46 per share versus $3.06 EPS at LOW.
- Liquidity remains solid for both: FND holds $57.4 M cash + $640.8 M ABL capacity; LOW reports $3.2 B cash and $4.0 B revolving credit availability.
- Store‑expansion outlook diverges – FND plans 30‑35 new warehouses in FY24; LOW operates 1,746 stores with no major expansion announced.
- Both companies are in the “Trending AI Robots” list on Tickeron, but the AI‑driven bots currently favor LOW because of its stronger cash flow and more stable earnings trajectory.
Introduction
Investors seeking exposure to the U.S. home‑improvement sector often compare the specialty flooring retailer FND (Floor & Decor Holdings, Inc.) with the broad‑line home‑improvement giant LOW (Lowe’s Companies, Inc.). Both companies serve DIY consumers and professional (Pro) customers, yet they differ in scale, product mix, and financial resilience. The following analysis pulls together the most recent quarterly filings (Q1‑2024 for FND, Q2‑2024 update, and Q1‑2024 for LOW) to help traders and investors evaluate which stock aligns better with current market conditions.
FND Overview and Recent Performance
Floor & Decor (NYSE: FND) operates over 225 warehouse‑format stores and five design studios across 36 states. The company focuses on in‑stock hard‑surface flooring (tile, wood, laminate, vinyl, stone) sold at everyday low prices.
Q1‑2024 results (ended March 28, 2024): Net sales were $1.097 B, down 2.2% YoY, while comparable store sales fell 11.6% due to lower transaction counts (‑7.7%) and reduced average ticket (‑4.2%). Gross margin improved slightly to 42.8% (up 100 bps). Operating income slipped 38% to $59.3 M, and diluted EPS was $0.46, below analyst expectations for revenue but above EPS forecasts.
Q2‑2024 update (ended June 27, 2024): Net sales $1.133 B, down only 0.2% YoY, yet comparable store sales declined 9.0%. The company opened five new warehouses, bringing the total to 230. Operating margin fell to 6.3% (‑210 bps) and diluted EPS was $0.52, a modest improvement from Q1.
Key drivers include continued pressure on DIY discretionary spending, higher supply‑chain costs, and a strategic focus on expanding the warehouse footprint to reach the 500‑store long‑term goal.
LOW Overview and Recent Performance
Lowe’s (NYSE: LOW) is a Fortune 50 retailer with 1,746 stores and roughly 195 million sq ft of selling space. The retailer serves both DIY and Pro customers, with a larger proportion of Pro sales than FND.
Q1‑2024 results (ended May 3, 2024): Net sales were $21.36 B, down 4.4% YoY. Comparable sales declined 4.1% (DIY big‑ticket decline offset by modest Pro and online gains). Gross margin was 33.2% (down 49 bps). Net earnings were $1.76 B, yielding diluted EPS of $3.06, comfortably beating consensus. The company reaffirmed FY 2024 guidance of $84‑$85 B sales and 2‑3% comparable sales decline.
Liquidity remains robust: $3.2 B cash and $4.0 B undrawn revolving credit. Capital expenditures are projected at $2 B for FY 2024, and the firm repurchased 3 M shares for $743 M while paying $633 M in dividends.
Trending AI Robots
Tickeron’s Trending AI Robots page showcases hundreds of AI‑driven trading bots that collectively monitor thousands of tickers. Of the bots that rank a ticker as “high‑confidence buy,” only a fraction—typically 5‑10%—are highlighted as “trending.” These bots differ by strategy (momentum, mean‑reversion, statistical arbitrage), time‑frame (intraday to long‑term), and risk parameters. For the current period, the majority of trending bots favor LOW because its cash flow stability, higher EPS, and consistent dividend history align with the risk‑adjusted models used by the AI engine. FND appears in a smaller set of bots focused on high‑growth, low‑margin retailers, indicating higher volatility.\n
Investors interested in testing these bots can explore the full library on Tickeron, filter by sector, and back‑test performance against historical data.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Metric | FND | LOW |
|---|---|---|
| Fiscal Year‑End | Dec 26 2024 | Feb 2 2025 |
| Q1‑2024 Net Sales | $1.10 B (‑4.3% YoY) | $21.36 B (‑4.4% YoY) |
| Comparable Sales YoY | ‑11.6% (Q1) / ‑9.0% (Q2) | ‑4.1% |
| Gross Margin | 42.8% (highest FY24) | 33.2% (down 49 bps) |
| Operating Margin | 5.4% (Q1) → 6.3% (Q2) | 12.4% (Q1) |
| Diluted EPS | $0.46 (Q1) → $0.52 (Q2) | $3.06 |
| Cash & Cash‑Equiv. | $57.4 M + $640.8 M ABL facility | $3.2 B + $4.0 B revolving credit |
| Debt (Long‑Term) | $194.8 M term loan; $0 ABL borrowings | $34.6 B term debt (incl. revolving) |
| Store Count | 230 warehouses (FY24 target 30‑35 new) | 1,746 stores (stable) |
| Capital Expenditure FY24 | $400‑$475 M | ≈$2 B |
| Dividend Yield | — (no dividend) | ~4.8% (annualized $1.10/share) |
| Risk Profile (AI Bot Rating) | Higher volatility, growth‑oriented | Stable cash flow, dividend‑focused |
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on the latest quarterly data, Tickeron’s AI models assign a higher confidence level to LOW. The rationale is threefold: (1) stronger earnings momentum with EPS three‑times higher than FND, (2) a robust liquidity cushion and consistent dividend that supports defensive positioning, and (3) a less pronounced decline in comparable sales, especially in the Pro segment that the AI weights heavily for stability. However, the AI notes that FND could benefit from its aggressive store‑opening plan if macro‑economic conditions improve, offering a potential upside for risk‑tolerant investors.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer. Disclaimers and Limitations
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is FND is a Buy and LOW is a Buy.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
FND’s FA Score shows that 0 FA rating(s) are green whileLOW’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s).
- FND’s FA Score: 0 green, 5 red.
- LOW’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
FND’s TA Score shows that 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while LOW’s TA Score has 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- FND’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 5 bearish.
- LOW’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 2 bearish.
Price Growth
FND (@Home Improvement Chains) experienced а -7.76% price change this week, while LOW (@Home Improvement Chains) price change was -1.69% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Home Improvement Chains industry was -4.77%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -8.53%, and the average quarterly price growth was -14.82%.
Reported Earning Dates
FND is expected to report earnings on Jul 30, 2026.
LOW is expected to report earnings on Aug 19, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Home Improvement Chains (-4.77% weekly)The home improvement chains industry sells home improvement merchandise and do-it-yourself repair and building goods. Customers include individual contractors or construction managers on one hand; on the other hand, there are retail consumers who’d either buy raw materials/items from the store to do a project on their own, or pay extra for installation services. Products sold include fencing supplies, lumber materials, hardware, lighting fixtures, plumbing supplies, home decor items, bathroom remodel items, roofing materials, tools and wallboard to name a few. The Home Depot Inc., Lowe’s Companies, Inc. and Floor & Decor Holdings, Inc. are some of the biggest home improvement retailing companies in the U.S. Allowing all types of customers the flexibility to choose or buy products both offline and online and then having the products shipped to the respective sites/homes are some of the potential drivers of a home improvement chain’s popularity. Many big-box home improvement chains are looking to expand their overseas presence. Supply-chain efficiency and distribution management are some of the key ingredients to grow/make profit in this industry.
| FND | LOW | FND / LOW | |
| Capitalization | 5.13B | 118B | 4% |
| EBITDA | 509M | 12.6B | 4% |
| Gain YTD | -22.138 | -11.800 | 188% |
| P/E Ratio | 25.77 | 17.81 | 145% |
| Revenue | 4.68B | 88.4B | 5% |
| Total Cash | 294M | 786M | 37% |
| Total Debt | 2.01B | 42.5B | 5% |
FND | LOW | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 50 | 50 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 66 Overvalued | 4 Undervalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 100 | 84 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 77 | 4 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 78 | 63 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 83 | 57 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 32 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
LOW's Valuation (4) in the Home Improvement Chains industry is somewhat better than the same rating for FND (66). This means that LOW’s stock grew somewhat faster than FND’s over the last 12 months.
LOW's Profit vs Risk Rating (84) in the Home Improvement Chains industry is in the same range as FND (100). This means that LOW’s stock grew similarly to FND’s over the last 12 months.
LOW's SMR Rating (4) in the Home Improvement Chains industry is significantly better than the same rating for FND (77). This means that LOW’s stock grew significantly faster than FND’s over the last 12 months.
LOW's Price Growth Rating (63) in the Home Improvement Chains industry is in the same range as FND (78). This means that LOW’s stock grew similarly to FND’s over the last 12 months.
LOW's P/E Growth Rating (57) in the Home Improvement Chains industry is in the same range as FND (83). This means that LOW’s stock grew similarly to FND’s over the last 12 months.
| FND | LOW | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 79% | 3 days ago 65% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 73% | 3 days ago 60% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 73% | N/A |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 67% | N/A |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 78% | 3 days ago 57% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 78% | 3 days ago 61% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 11 days ago 69% | 11 days ago 60% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 79% | 6 days ago 57% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 90% | 3 days ago 69% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 80% | 3 days ago 65% |
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FND and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, FND has been loosely correlated with RH. These tickers have moved in lockstep 66% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if FND jumps, then RH could also see price increases.
LOW and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, LOW has been closely correlated with HD. These tickers have moved in lockstep 88% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if LOW jumps, then HD could also see price increases.