Lowe’s Companies, Inc. reported 2022 first-quarter total sales of $23.7 billion, compared to $24.4 billion in the first quarter of 2021. Comparable sales decreased 4%, while comparable sales for the U.S. home improvement business decreased 3.8% for the quarter. Pro customer sales increased 20%, the company said.

Lowe’s reported net earnings of $2.3 billion, in line with prior-year results, and diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $3.51 for the quarter ended April 29, 2022, compared to diluted EPS of $3.21 in 1Q 2021.

“Our sales this quarter were in line with our expectations, excluding our outdoor seasonal categories that were impacted by unseasonably cold temperatures in April. Because 75% of our customer base is DIY, our Q1 sales were disproportionately impacted by the cooler spring temperatures. Now that spring has finally arrived, we are pleased with the improved sales trends we are seeing in May,” commented Marvin R. Ellison, Lowe’s chairman, president and CEO. “This quarter we delivered over 65 basis points of operating margin improvement, driven by our Total Home strategy and the execution of our Perpetual Productivity Improvement or PPI initiatives. Despite some increased uncertainty in the macro environment, we remain confident in the outlook for the home improvement market and our ability to deliver operating margin expansion in 2022. I would like to thank our front-line associates for their ongoing commitment to our customers and our communities.”