With existing home sales at historic lows, both Home Depot and Lowe's face challenges as renovations decline. Home Depot's dividend is covered but with a thinner cash flow cushion, while Lowe's shows a stronger free cash flow yield and wider dividend coverage. Home Depot leans more on professional contractors, which helps in a slow market, but Lowe's has a longer track record of dividend increases and a lower payout ratio, making its dividend more defensible for income investors. If mortgage rates drop and housing activity picks up, Home Depot's focus on pros could outperform, but for now, Lowe's is the safer income choice.
Home Depot trades at USD 308.41 with a slight 0.11% decline, while Lowe's holds steady at USD 197.00 with a 0.09% gain as of Sep 14, 2026 20:02 WIB. Despite Home Depot's larger market cap of $308.03B compared to Lowe's $110.43B, Lowe's lower payout ratio and consistent dividend increases may appeal more to income-focused investors. This aligns with the article's view that Lowe's dividend appears more defensible in the current slow housing market.
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