NEW YORK — Lowe’s Cos., the nation’s second-largest home improvement chain behind Home Depot, offered an upbeat annual outlook after reporting strong fiscal fourth-quarter results that showed a still sizzling housing market.

Lowe’s Cos. reported two key sales measures that missed analysts’ estimates last quarter despite a buoyant U.S. housing market.

It was a cold winter for Lowe’s Cos., but sales largely held up. And now, CEO Marvin Ellison said demand for home improvement goods is starting to heat up, one day after rival Home Depot Inc. reported results that fell short.

Three months after Hurricane Harvey ravaged Houston, home-improvement retailers Lowe’s Cos. and NFI Industries will open up a new distribution center in the city to handle the extra volume anticipated in the rebuilding effort.