Lowe's higher sales overshadowed by Home Depot hangover

Home improvement chain Lowe's Cos Inc reported an increase in quarterly comparable sales that paled in comparison to those of rival Home Depot Inc , despite beating Wall Street expectations. Home Depot and Lowe's are benefiting from pent-up demand for houses after the 2008 financial crisis, while low interest rates and growth in jobs, wages and credit have spurred spending on renovations in the United States. Although fourth-quarter sales at Lowe's U.S. stores open for more than a year rose a he