Key European party’s next leader blasts autocrats in group

Muted launch for Google's game-streaming service Stadia

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN Lowe's third-quarter profit handily topped Wall Street’s view, thanks in part to strong economic conditions and sales to contractors. The home-improvement company boosted its full-year adjusted earnings outlook.Shares jumped more than 5% before the opening bell on Wednesday.The announcement comes a day after disappointing results from rival Home Depot, which reported its third-quarter revenue missed analysts’ estimates and cut its full-year sales forecast.The contrasting quarterly performances highlight the increasing competition between Home Depot and Lowe’s, which is in the process of an overhaul under its new CEO Marvin Ellison.Ellison, a one-time Home Depot executive who took the top job at Lowe's last year, is trying to reshape the culture at Lowe’s, which had been a distant second to Home Depot in the sector for a while. Ellison’s moves are starting to gain traction, and Lowe’s is beginning to close the gap.Lowe’s Cos. earned $1.05 billion, or $1.36 per share, for the three months ended Nov. 1. The Mooresville, North Carolina-based company earned $629 million, or 78 cents per share, a year earlier.Earnings, adjusted for restructuring costs, were $1.41 per share. That easily beat the $1.35 per share that analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research were calling for.Revenue totaled $17.39 billion, below Wall Street’s forecast of $17.69 billion.Sales at stores open at least a year rose 2.2%. In the U.S., the figure climbed 3%. This metric is a key gauge of a retailer’s health because it excludes results from stores recently opened or closed.Lowe's now anticipates full-year adjusted earnings in a range of $5.63 to $5.70 per share. Its prior forecast was for earnings of $5.45 to $5.65 per share. Analysts polled by FactSet predict full-year earnings of $5.67 per share._____Portions of this story were generated by (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a at https://www.zacks.com/ap/LOW

Lowe's 3Q profit buoyed by strong economy; lifts outlook