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* Home improvement retailer Lowe’s Cos. said third-quarter profit rose 20% to $202.3 million, or 53 cents a share, matching forecasts, as sales rose 15% to $4.5 billion. Lowe’s cautioned that a drop in prices it charges for lumber and building materials would hold back sales in the fourth quarter, but said it remains confident that it will meet analyst expectations of 48 cents a share for fourth-quarter earnings.