Lowe’s (LOW):
 I know I did my fair share to help the company in the past quarter.

Check out the home-improvement chain’s first-quarter results.

The North Carolina-based company put up $0.32 a share in the period, well below the $0.41 it earned in the comparable period the year before. However, it was a hefty $0.07 north of expectations. It also nailed down about $11.83 billion in sales, which was better than expected, too.

But what really caught my eye was that it offered up an outlook of $1.13 to $1.25 for the year. That’s not bad, as the estimate I’m seeing is $1.11. It's also worth noting that in conjunction with its fourth-quarter numbers, it offered up an outlook of $1.04 to $1.20.

Some thoughts:

1. I think the shares are worth backing up a (small) pickup truck for at this point. There are a lot of people out there (both consumers and contractors) that are feeling more confident than they were a few months ago, and are going to be willing to spend more money in the coming months.

2. I’m thinking Wall Street analysts are going to be raising estimates in the days ahead, and if I’m right, that could give the shares a goose.

3. I know I should have an opinion about which is the better play right now -- Lowe’s or Home Depot (HD) -- but I don’t. I think they both could rock.

MGM Mirage (MGM):
 Per CNBC: “Tracinda agreed to raise its stake in MGM Mirage by 14.3 million shares Monday by purchasing common stock for $7 per share, a Securities and Exchange Commission filing showed.”

Just a couple of quick thoughts here:

1. I think it’s a good sign that Kerkorian and crew are ponying up that kind of dough.

2. This could be a decent trade today as investors take notice of the news. However, I wouldn’t want to chase the stock. See my article Ticker Shock: Four Reasons Why Whole Foods Isn't Looking Appetizing to see some of the things that concern me about dabbling in MGM right now.

Have a great day!