By MAE ANDERSON

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- No. 2 home-improvement retailer Lowe's Cos. on Monday said second-quarter earnings fell 19 percent on weaker-than-expected sales, adding fresh fuel to doubts about the ability and willingness of consumers to lead the U.S. economy out of recession.

Lowe's shares fell sharply as investors worried that consumers remain tight-fisted in their spending habits. A recovery in consumer spending is crucial for an economic recovery because it accounts for two-thirds of all U.S. economic activity.

The weak results added to economic worries from Friday, when an indicator of consumer sentiment fell significantly short of expectations for the first part of August.

Lowe's results Monday were a stark contrast to the prior quarter, when the company said it saw fresh signs of a consumer resurgence.

"Wavering consumer confidence, unseasonable weather in core markets, and restrained customer spending compared to last year's fiscal stimulus-aided results led to lower than expected sales in the second quarter," Robert A. Niblock, Lowe's chairman and CEO, said in a statement.

The No. 2 home-improvement retailer says profit fell to $759 million, or 51 cents per share, from $938 million, or 64 cents per share, last year.

Revenue fell 5 percent to $13.84 billion from $14.51 billion last year.