Lowe's Is Top Home-Retail Stock: Poll

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- The housing market saw positive data this week in the form of improved pending home sales figures and home prices. But this good news could be important not just for homebuilders and REITs, but for home furnishing retailers as well.

The one poised to gain the most is Lowe's(LOW), according to a vote by TheStreet users in a weeklong poll. The retailer had 40.3% of the vote, but ended the week down 5% to $20.03. The specific question the poll posed was: "As the housing market recovers, which home retailer is poised to profit?"

Lowe's announced on Thursday that is signed a deal with Berkshire Hathaway's(BRK-A) Johns Manville, a building products company. While Lowe's already carries select products from the company, the deal will allow it to expand its offerings and make them available in 1,700 stores.

Rival Home Depot(HD) came in second in the poll, with 32.7% of the vote.

Beyond the tallies for those two companies, the drop-off in votes was drastic. Sears(SHLD) ranked third with 12.5%, Bed Bath & Beyond(BBBY) came in fourth with 9.4% and Williams-Sonoma(WSM) was last with just 4.9% of the vote.

Last week Bed Bath & Beyond reported a 14% jump in its quarterly profit , but was downgraded by a Credit Suisse analyst to neutral from outperform.

Analyst Gary Balter said the downgrade had nothing to do with either earnings or management; he says he simply can't justify the stock price.

Shares of the company tumbled 4% to close on Friday at $36.65.

-- Reported by Jeanine Poggi in New York

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