{"id":62141,"date":"2026-05-20T06:38:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T10:38:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-digest-lowes-beats-estimates-tensions-rise-in-hormuz-and-china-eyes-boeing-jets\/62141\/"},"modified":"2026-05-20T06:38:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T10:38:14","slug":"global-markets-digest-lowes-beats-estimates-tensions-rise-in-hormuz-and-china-eyes-boeing-jets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-markets-digest-lowes-beats-estimates-tensions-rise-in-hormuz-and-china-eyes-boeing-jets\/62141\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Markets Digest: Lowe&#8217;s Beats Estimates, Tensions Rise in Hormuz, and China Eyes Boeing Jets"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Lowe&#39;s (<a href=\"\/stock\/LOW\">LOW<\/a>) reported Q1 2026 adjusted EPS of $3.03<\/strong>, beating analyst estimates of <strong>$2.96<\/strong>, while maintaining its full-year sales guidance of <strong>$92 billion to $94 billion<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tensions in the Middle East escalated<\/strong> as three supertankers attempted to cross the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> following a tightening of controls by Iranian authorities.<\/li>\n<li><strong>China signaled a potential return to Boeing (<a href=\"\/stock\/BA\">BA<\/a>) aircraft purchases<\/strong>, with state media noting plans to buy jets &quot;in accordance with market demand.&quot;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Energy shifts continue in Eurasia<\/strong>, with Russian gas supplies to China increasing <strong>10% in the first four months of the year<\/strong>, alongside a new cooperation agreement between Exxon Mobil (<a href=\"\/stock\/XOM\">XOM<\/a>), QatarEnergy, and Egypt.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Lowe&#39;s Companies, Inc. (<a href=\"\/stock\/LOW\">LOW<\/a>) delivered a solid start to the fiscal year, reporting <strong>Q1 sales of $23.08 billion<\/strong>, slightly ahead of the <strong>$22.97 billion<\/strong> expected by Wall Street. Despite a modest <strong>0.6% growth in comparable sales<\/strong>, the home improvement retailer maintained its full-year outlook, signaling <em>resilience in consumer spending for home projects<\/em> despite broader economic uncertainty. The company expects full-year adjusted EPS to land between <strong>$12.25 and $12.75<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In the aerospace sector, The Boeing Company (<a href=\"\/stock\/BA\">BA<\/a>) received a cautious boost as Chinese officials expressed a willingness to resume jet purchases. A representative from China\u2019s Ministry of Commerce stated that acquisitions would proceed based on <strong>&quot;market demand,&quot;<\/strong> a qualifier that suggests <em>procurement will be pragmatic rather than purely political<\/em>. This development is a critical signal for Boeing as it seeks to stabilize its order book in one of the world&#39;s largest aviation markets.<\/p>\n<p>Geopolitical risks are intensifying in the energy corridors of the Middle East. According to reports, <strong>three supertankers are currently attempting to navigate the Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> after Iran implemented stricter controls over the vital waterway. This move has sparked concerns regarding <em>global oil supply stability and potential spikes in maritime insurance premiums<\/em> for tankers operating in the region.<\/p>\n<p>Simultaneously, the global gas market is seeing significant realignment. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak reported that <strong>Russian gas supplies to China surged 10%<\/strong> during the first four months of 2026. This pivot toward Asia is being mirrored by Western majors, as Exxon Mobil (<a href=\"\/stock\/XOM\">XOM<\/a>) and QatarEnergy signed a <strong>Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Egypt<\/strong> to enhance gas cooperation, further cementing Egypt&#39;s role as a regional energy hub.<\/p>\n<p>In Europe, political leaders are addressing security and infrastructure concerns. <strong>NATO Chief Mark Rutte<\/strong> noted that adjustments to <strong>U.S. forces in Europe<\/strong> will be handled in a &quot;structured way&quot; over time, aiming to maintain stability amidst shifting defense priorities. Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk signaled a willingness to <strong>cooperate with Hungary on energy security<\/strong>, highlighting a <em>pragmatic approach to regional self-sufficiency<\/em> despite often divergent political stances within the EU.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Lowe&#39;s (LOW) reported Q1 2026 adjusted EPS of $3.03, beating analyst estimates of $2.96, while maintaining its full-year [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":50383,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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