Stocks To Watch - Nov. 20

(RTTNews) - What makes these stocks interesting? Today's stocks are interesting for reasons like good quarterly numbers, strong outlook, and other metrics. The stocks are handpicked after sifting through the current news, and not generated by any automated software or cookie cutter process.

Lowe's Companies Inc. (LOW) raised its fiscal year 2013 guidance and now expects earnings to be about $2.15 per share versus prior outlook of $2.10 per share. Analysts expect the company to report earnings per share of $2.19.

Total sales are expected to increase around 6% and comparable sales are expected to increase about 5%. The previous projection was for sales increase of about 5% and comparable sales growth of about 4.5%.

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Home furniture maker La-Z-Boy Inc. (LZB) reported its second-quarter net income of $16.7 million or $0.31 per share, compared with $6.6 million or $0.12 per share last year.

Results for the quarter include $0.01 per share for the reduction of certain valuation reserves against state deferred tax assets, while the prior year recorded $0.03 per share in restructuring charges.

On average, five analysts polled by Thomson Reuters estimated earnings of $0.26 per share for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

Sales for the second quarter grew 13.7% to $366.4 million from $322.3 million a year ago. Analysts had a consensus sales estimate of $349.4 million for the quarter.

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Farm & construction machinery maker Deere & Co. (DE) expects fiscal 2014 equipment sales to decrease about 3% and be down about 2% for the first quarter compared with the year-ago periods.

For fiscal 2014, net income attributable to Deere & Co. is expected to be about $3.3 billion. The outlook contemplates the sale of 60% of John Deere Landscapes operations, as announced earlier.