Home improvement spending may be getting closer to a bottom as the rate of Lowe’s comparable sales declines continued to ease in 1Q, M Science analyst John Tomlinson says in a note. Same-store sales were down 4.1%, beating analyst forecasts for a 5.6% decline and an improvement from a 6.2% drop in 4Q and 7.4% decline in 3Q. Unlike its rival Home Depot, Lowe’s logged stronger quarterly results that topped analyst expectations in part from gains in its professional-customers channel, though spending on big-ticket items remains under pressure, the analyst says. Shares slide 3.1% to $222.12.