Quarterly earnings results are a good time to check in on a company’s progress, especially compared to its peers in the same sector. Today we are looking at Lowe's (NYSE: LOW) and the best and worst performers in the home furnishing and improvement retail industry.

Home furnishing and improvement retailers understand that ‘home is where the heart is’ but that a home is only right when it’s in livable condition and furnished just right. These stores therefore focus on providing what is needed for both the upkeep of a house as well as what is desired for the aesthetics of a home. Decades ago, it was thought that furniture and home improvement would resist e-commerce because of the logistical challenges of shipping a sofa or lawn mower, but now you can buy both online; so just like other retailers, these stores need to adapt to new realities and consumer behaviors.

The 7 home furnishing and improvement retail stocks we track reported a slower Q3. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.6% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 8.9% below.

Luckily, home furnishing and improvement retail stocks have performed well with share prices up 18.2% on average since the latest earnings results.

Lowe's (NYSE: LOW)

Founded in North Carolina as Lowe's North Wilkesboro Hardware, the company is a home improvement retailer that sells everything from paint to tools to building materials.

Lowe's reported revenues of $20.17 billion, down 1.5% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 1.4%. Despite the top-line beat, it was still a mixed quarter for the company with a decent beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a slight miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

"Our results this quarter were modestly better-than-expected, even excluding storm-related activity, driven by high-single-digit positive comps in Pro, strong online sales and smaller-ticket outdoor DIY projects," said Marvin R. Ellison, Lowe's chairman, president and CEO.

Lowe's scored the highest full-year guidance raise of the whole group. Still, the market seems discontent with the results. The stock is down 57.1% since reporting and currently trades at $252.30.

Is now the time to buy Lowe's? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q3: Williams-Sonoma (NYSE: WSM)

Started in 1956 as a store specializing in French cookware, Williams-Sonoma (NYSE: WSM) is a specialty retailer of higher-end kitchenware, home goods, and furniture.

Williams-Sonoma reported revenues of $1.80 billion, down 2.9% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 1.1%. The business had a strong quarter with a decent beat of analysts’ gross margin and EPS estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 57.1% since reporting. It currently trades at $215.59.

Is now the time to buy Williams-Sonoma? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Slowest Q3: Arhaus (NASDAQ: ARHS)

With an aesthetic that features natural materials such as reclaimed wood, Arhaus (NASDAQ: ARHS) is a high-end furniture retailer that sells everything from sofas to rugs to bookcases.

Arhaus reported revenues of $319.1 million, down 2.2% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 3.1%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted full-year EBITDA guidance missing analysts’ expectations.

Arhaus delivered the weakest full-year guidance update in the group. Interestingly, the stock is up 37.7% since the results and currently trades at $12.56.

Read our full analysis of Arhaus’s results here.

RH (NYSE: RH)

Formerly known as Restoration Hardware, RH (NYSE: RH) is a specialty retailer that exclusively sells its own brand of high-end furniture and home decor.

RH reported revenues of $811.7 million, up 8.1% year on year. This print met analysts’ expectations. Aside from that, it was a softer quarter as it logged a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ gross margin estimates.

RH delivered the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is flat since reporting and currently trades at $381.01.

Read our full, actionable report on RH here, it’s free.

Sleep Number (NASDAQ: SNBR)

Known for mattresses that can be adjusted with regards to firmness, Sleep Number (NASDAQ: SNBR) manufactures and sells its own brand of bedding products such as mattresses, bed frames, and pillows.

Sleep Number reported revenues of $426.6 million, down 9.7% year on year. This result lagged analysts' expectations by 4.3%. Overall, it was a slower quarter as it also produced full-year EBITDA guidance missing analysts’ expectations.

Sleep Number had the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is up 41.2% since reporting and currently trades at $18.70.

Read our full, actionable report on Sleep Number here, it’s free.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 5 Growth Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.

Join Paid Stock Investor Research

Help us make StockStory more helpful to investors like yourself. Join our paid user research session and receive a $50 Amazon gift card for your opinions. Sign up here.