In corporate news, Lowe's Companies Inc. reported a 19 percent rise in profit on tight cost controls, but the home improvement retailer trimmed its full-year earnings forecast.

企业新闻方面，美国家居建材类零售商洛斯公司(Lowe ' s Companies)公布利润增长19%，主要是因为严格控制运营成本，不过同时下调了全年收益预期。

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3 is the reduction of the five companies - a used car dealer, an oil company, a home improvement building materials retailer, an energy power equipment manufacturer and a medical service provider.

被减持的有5家公司——一家二手车经销商、一家石油公司、一家家装建材零售商、一家能源电力设备制造商和一家医疗服务提供商。

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When a hurricane comes, count on large-cap investors to snap up stocks of not only home improvement companies, but also discount retailers (everyone's running for flashlights and other supplies and will be replacing losses from flood damage), home builders (all those houses need to be rebuilt) and oil companies (damage to refineries down in the Gulf sparks supply worries and kicks up prices).

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The dynamics of the real estate market are changing, though, and several homebuilders, home improvement retailers, and construction materials companies have regained much of the value that evaporated since housing prices peaked in 2007.

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Signs are also good at companies that supply the likes of Home Depot, the biggest home-improvement retailer in the U.S. by sales.

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