Independent Advisor Alliance Lowers Stock Position in The Home Depot, Inc. $HD

Independent Advisor Alliance reduced its stake in shares of The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD) by 2.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 105,072 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 2,323 shares during the period. Home Depot accounts for 0.9% of Independent Advisor Alliance’s portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. Independent Advisor Alliance’s holdings in Home Depot were worth $36,155,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Stegent Equity Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Home Depot by 2.7% in the 3rd quarter. Stegent Equity Advisors Inc. now owns 1,006 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $408,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. Arcus Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Home Depot by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Arcus Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,445 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $991,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Westfuller Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Home Depot by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Westfuller Advisors LLC now owns 1,325 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $456,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Home Depot by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,949 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $1,703,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alesco Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Home Depot by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. Alesco Advisors LLC now owns 866 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $298,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. 70.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Home Depot Stock Performance

NYSE:HD opened at $310.61 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.62, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.26. The Home Depot, Inc. has a 1 year low of $309.11 and a 1 year high of $426.75. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $335.81 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $355.95. The company has a market cap of $309.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.83, a PEG ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 1.00.

Home Depot (NYSE:HD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 24th. The home improvement retailer reported $2.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.52 by $0.20. Home Depot had a return on equity of 134.32% and a net margin of 8.60%.The business had revenue of $38.20 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $38.01 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.13 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Home Depot has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.230-14.799 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that The Home Depot, Inc. will post 15.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Home Depot Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 12th were paid a $2.33 dividend. This represents a $9.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 12th. This is a positive change from Home Depot’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.30. Home Depot’s dividend payout ratio is presently 65.50%.

Home Depot News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Home Depot this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Home Depot’s subsidiary SRS Distribution completed its acquisition of HVAC distributor Mingledorff’s, expanding HD’s presence in the professional HVAC market and supporting its long-term pro business growth strategy. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Several pieces highlighted Home Depot as an income/dividend stock with defensive appeal, which can attract investors looking for steady cash returns. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing and content partnerships, including a World Cup-related campaign with Men in Blazers, may help brand visibility but are not likely to move the stock meaningfully on their own. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: A study on which sectors produce the most 100-bagger stocks is interesting for market watchers, but it does not appear to be a direct catalyst for HD shares. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts are looking for a year-over-year earnings decline in Home Depot’s upcoming report, raising the risk of a disappointment if demand remains soft. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Broader commentary on consumer discretionary weakness argues that higher rates and persistent inflation are hurting big-ticket spending, a headwind for Home Depot’s core home-improvement business. Article Title

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on HD. KeyCorp reissued a “sector weight” rating on shares of Home Depot in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Wall Street Zen cut Home Depot from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday. Zacks Research raised Home Depot from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. Daiwa Securities Group boosted their price target on Home Depot from $360.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Home Depot from $395.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $409.14.

Insider Transactions at Home Depot

In other Home Depot news, CFO Richard V. Mcphail sold 2,550 shares of Home Depot stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $368.89, for a total value of $940,669.50. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 44,566 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,439,951.74. The trade was a 5.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Home Depot Profile

The Home Depot, Inc (NYSE: HD) is a leading home improvement retailer that operates large-format stores and an integrated online platform offering a broad range of products and services for do-it-yourself consumers, professional contractors and businesses. The company was founded in 1978 by Bernard Marcus and Arthur Blank and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Since opening its first stores at the end of the 1970s, Home Depot has grown into a multinational retailer known for its orange-branded stores and wide assortment of home improvement merchandise.

Home Depot’s core business includes the sale of building materials, lumber, tools, hardware, appliances, paint, plumbing and electrical supplies, lawn and garden products, and home décor.