Squawk Pod: Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison & LVMH’s Middle East market - 04/14/26 | Audio Only
Speakers
Marvin Ellison
— Chairman & CEO, Lowe's
Steve Liesman
— Senior Economics Reporter
Robert Frank
— Wealth Editor, CNBC
Summary
The episode covers Lowe's new subscription service and investment in trade skills, with CEO Marvin Ellison expressing confidence in the company's growth despite a challenging housing market. It also discusses the impact of the Iran war on luxury sales in the Middle East for LVMH, and presents data showing a drop in small business optimism due to tariffs and uncertainty.
- Lowe's CEO Marvin Ellison introduces HomeCare+ subscription service for $99/year.
- Lowe's Foundation investing $250 million to train 250,000 skilled trades workers.
- Ellison says Lowe's expects positive revenue growth in 2026 by taking market share.
- Small business optimism index falls to lowest level since Liberation Day tariffs.
- LVMH sales growth slows due to 50% drop in Middle East sales from Iran war.
- Wealthy consumers in US and China continue to spend on luxury despite market volatility.
- Discussion on big businesses potentially taking market share from small businesses due to tariffs.
- Joe Kernan comments on market resilience and contrarian investing.
Trade Ideas
Lowe's is growing by taking market share.
Lowe's is launching a new subscription service (HomeCare+) to build long-term customer relationships, investing $250 million in skilled trades training to address workforce shortages, and has diversified its supply chain (60% produced in the US) to manage tariffs effectively. The company expects positive revenue growth in 2026 by taking market share in a flat home improvement market, driven by an aging housing stock and a resilient customer base with high equity and income. For accelerated growth, they need mortgage rates below 6%, but even without that, they can grow.
Up Next
This CNBC video, published April 14, 2026, features Marvin Ellison discussing LOW. 1 trade idea extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.
Speakers: Marvin Ellison · Tickers: LOW