Lowe's beat Wall Street's expectations for its quarter ended Aug. 1, with comparable sales increasing 1.1% versus the year-ago period. But executives on an earnings call noted that the retailer is still working through short-term challenges specific to the home improvement sector like high mortgage rates and a depressed housing market, in addition to the more broad-based challenge of cautious, value-focused consumers.
When Hurricane Helene barreled through North Carolina in September 2024, General Motors' artificial intelligence system had already predicted that one of its key suppliers, Auria Solutions, would take a direct hit. The automotive acoustics and textiles company manufactures carpets for General Motors' full-size SUVs - like the Chevy Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade - at its plant in North Carolina. When the storm pummeled the town, the factory lost water and power, but General Motors was prepared for the production-halting damage.