[1/2] Shoppers load a box of merchandise into a truck after visiting a Lowe's hardware store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. November 4, 2020. REUTERS/Mark Makela/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 22 (Reuters) - Lowe's (LOW.N) beat Wall Street estimates for quarterly profit and posted a smaller-than-expected drop in comparable sales on Tuesday, as sustained consumer spending on smaller projects countered a broader lull in the home-improvement sector. A delayed spring season also pushed demand for goods such as garden equipment and outdoor supplies into the second quarter from earlier in the year, helping Lowe's and larger rival Home Depot (HD.N) top quarterly results estimates. In contrast, Home Depot said Pro-customer sales performance was slightly negative in the quarter. Same-store sales at Lowe's fell 1.6% in the second quarter ended Aug. 4, less than analysts' estimate of a 2.36% drop, according to Refinitiv data.

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Persons: Mark Makela, Marvin Ellison, Lowe's, Joe Feldman, Telsey's Feldman, Deborah Sophia, Shinjini Organizations: REUTERS, Home, Pro, Telsey Advisory, Depot, Thomson Locations: Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, U.S, North Carolina, Lowe's, Bengaluru