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The U.S. housing market has weighed on °®¶¹´«Ã½ Depot as high interest rates prompt consumers to remain on the sidelines for big-ticket purchases and projects that require financing.

°®¶¹´«Ã½ Depot's third quarter was mixed with fewer violent storms reaching shore, more anxiety among U.S. consumers and a housing market that is in a deep funk.

Retailers are expressing optimism about the resilience of U.S. consumers, a sentiment that could soon be put to the test as tariff-fueled price hikes increasingly show up on shelves.

Lowe's and rival °®¶¹´«Ã½ Depot have intensified their focus on professional builders.

Sales at stores open at least a year, a key indicator of a retailer’s health, rose 1%. In the U.S., comparable store sales increased 1.4%.

°®¶¹´«Ã½ Depot has agreed to acquire specialty building products distributor GMS for $4.3 billion, its latest effort to grab more spending from professional contractors.

QXO won’t raise its $5 billion offer for building products distributor GMS after °®¶¹´«Ã½ Depot reportedly made its own bid.

°®¶¹´«Ã½ Depot has made an offer for GMS, potentially setting off a bidding war with QXO, which this week made a $5 billion offer for the building products distributor.

°®¶¹´«Ã½ Depot’s revenue climbed in the first quarter as customers spent slightly more as they tackled smaller projects.

Lowe’s has agreed to buy an interior services provider for around $1.3 billion, the retailer’s latest effort to expand its footprint with professional contractors amid a soft housing market.