Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) will unveil its latest earnings today, November 14, 2011. The average estimate of analysts is for profit of 33 cents per share, a rise of 6.5% from the company’s actual earnings for the same quarter a year ago. During the past three months, the average estimate has moved down from 35 cents. Between one and three months ago, the average estimate moved down. It has been unchanged at 33 cents during the last month. For the year, analysts are projecting net income of $1.59 per share, a rise of 9.7% from last year.

The company topped estimates last quarter after missing forecasts the quarter prior. In the second quarter, it reported profit of 68 cents per share against a mean estimate of net income of 67 cents per share. In the first quarter, it missed forecasts by 2 cents. Analysts are projecting a rise of 0.9% in revenue from the year-earlier quarter to $11.7 billion.

Competitors to Watch: The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD), Builders FirstSource, Inc. (NASDAQ:BLDR), Lumber Liquidators Hldgs., Inc. (NYSE:LL), Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ:TSCO), Hornbach-Baumarkt-AG (NYSE:HBM), PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM), Toll Brothers (NYSE:TOL), D.R. Horton (NYSE:DHI), KB Home (NYSE:KBH), Lennar Corp (NYSE:LEN), Beazer Homes (NYSE:BZH), Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW), Sears Holdings (NASDAQ:SHLD), Target (NYSE:TGT) and Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT).

The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD) will unveil its latest earnings on Tuesday, November 15, 2011. The average estimate of analysts is for net income of 59 cents per share, a rise of 15.7% from the company’s actual earnings for the same quarter a year ago. During the past three months, the average estimate has moved up from 57 cents. Between one and three months ago, the average estimate moved up. It has been unchanged at 59 cents during the last month. For the year, analysts are projecting profit of $2.35 per share, a rise of 15.8% from last year.

Last quarter, the company beat estimates by 4 cents, coming in at net income of 86 cents a share versus the estimate of profit of 82 cents a share. It marked the fourth straight quarter of beating estimates. On average, analysts predict $17.09 billion in revenue this quarter, a rise of 3% from the year ago quarter. Analysts are forecasting total revenue of $69.64 billion for the year, a rise of 2.4% from last year’s revenue of $68 billion.

Competitors to Watch: Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW), Builders FirstSource, Inc. (NASDAQ:BLDR), Lumber Liquidators Hldgs., Inc. (NYSE:LL), Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ:TSCO), Hornbach-Baumarkt-AG (NYSE:HBM), PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM), Toll Brothers (NYSE:TOL), D.R. Horton (NYSE:DHI), KB Home (NYSE:KBH), Lennar Corp (NYSE:LEN), Beazer Homes (NYSE:BZH), Sherwin-Williams (NYSE:SHW), Sears Holdings (NASDAQ:SHLD), Target (NYSE:TGT) and Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT).

Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPLS) will unveil its latest earnings on Tuesday, November 15, 2011. The average estimate of analysts is for profit of 47 cents per share, a rise of 14.6% from the company’s actual earnings for the same quarter a year ago. The average estimate is the same as three months ago. Between one and three months ago, the average estimate was unchanged. It also has not changed during the last month. Analysts are projecting profit to rise by 11% versus last year to $1.41.

The company beat estimates last quarter after falling short in the prior two. In the second quarter, the company reported net income of 22 cents per share versus a mean estimate of profit of 20 cents per share. In the first quarter, the company missed estimates by 4 cents.  Analysts are projecting a rise of 2.8% in revenue from the year-earlier quarter to $6.72 billion.

Competitors to Watch: OfficeMax Incorporated (NYSE:OMX), Office Depot, Inc. (NYSE:ODP), Walgreen (NYSE:WAG), CVS (NYSE:CVS), Target (NYSE:TGT), Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT), Best Buy (NYSE:BBY), Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM), Bed, Bath & Beyone (NASDAQ:BBBY), Stamps.com Inc. (NASDAQ:STMP) and United Stationers Inc. (NASDAQ:USTR).

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