Lowe's is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world, selling appliances, building supplies, paint and garden goods through roughly two thousand big-box stores. Its customer mix leans more toward homeowners doing their own projects than rival Home Depot's contractor-heavy base, a gap the company works to close because professional customers shop more often and spend more. Results move with housing turnover and renovation cycles. Founded in North Carolina in 1946, Lowe's has raised its dividend for decades running.