Lowe's (LOW), Home Depot (HD), Toll Brothers (TOL) Down Even After Good Reports

Many investors consider results from the last quarter as largely looking in the rearview mirror, including those for Lowe's (LOW), Home Depot (HD) and Toll Brothers (TOL), which all exceeded expectations.

The crisis in the Middle East, ongoing concerns over the European sovereign debt crisis which never goes away, and rising inflation are among the factors weighing on markets.

This will be good for energy stocks for sure, as it appears the unrest in the Middle East has a long way to play out, which will especially be a boost to companies with strong crude exposure.

For those companies like Lowe's (LOW), Home Depot (HD) and Toll Brothers (TOL), it appears to underscore the fragility of the so-called recovery, and the economic jitters still being entertained by the majority of investors.