Willis Investment Counsel Buys 2,560 Shares of The Home Depot, Inc. $HD

Willis Investment Counsel increased its position in shares of The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD) by 2.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 115,428 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,560 shares during the period. Home Depot accounts for about 1.4% of Willis Investment Counsel’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding. Willis Investment Counsel’s holdings in Home Depot were worth $32,838,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HD. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in Home Depot during the second quarter worth about $28,771,247,000. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in Home Depot by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 47,175,026 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $16,637,688,000 after acquiring an additional 499,168 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in Home Depot in the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,780,468,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in shares of Home Depot during the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,777,396,000. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LP bought a new position in shares of Home Depot during the 2nd quarter valued at about $390,913,000. 70.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on HD shares. Argus reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $400.00 price objective on shares of Home Depot in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Melius Research set a $397.00 target price on shares of Home Depot in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Home Depot in a research report on Thursday, September 17th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Home Depot from $360.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein cut their price objective on Home Depot from $354.00 to $344.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $375.93.

Insider Activity

In other Home Depot news, CAO Kimberly R. Scardino sold 675 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $305.95, for a total transaction of $206,516.25. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 8,189 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,505,424.55. The trade was a 7.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael F. Rowe sold 710 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $336.76, for a total value of $239,099.60. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 6,838 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,302,764.88. The trade was a 9.41% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 9,829 shares of company stock worth $3,339,314. Company insiders own 0.08% of the company’s stock.

Home Depot Trading Up 1.8%

NYSE HD traded up $5.57 on Tuesday, hitting $315.45. 2,113,137 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,471,143. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.64, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.31. The Home Depot, Inc. has a twelve month low of $277.15 and a twelve month high of $397.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $314.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.00. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $311.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $324.03.

Home Depot (NYSE:HD) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 18th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.92 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.73 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $47.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $47.24 billion. Home Depot had a net margin of 8.41% and a return on equity of 106.42%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $4.68 earnings per share. Home Depot has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.690-15.278 EPS. Analysts predict that The Home Depot, Inc. will post 15.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Home Depot Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 3rd were given a $2.33 dividend. This represents a $9.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, September 3rd. Home Depot’s dividend payout ratio is 65.22%.

Key Home Depot News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts at Zacks identify Home Depot as a trending, highly watched stock and point to favorable momentum and long-term investment characteristics. The company’s latest reported quarter also showed earnings and revenue above expectations, with sales up 5.7% year over year. Here is What to Know Beyond Why The Home Depot, Inc. Is a Trending Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Several reports frame Home Depot as an attractive long-term holding because its growth rate has improved and management is concentrating on professional trade customers, a potentially important source of recurring, higher-value sales. Should You Buy Home Depot Stock Before November 17?
• Positive Sentiment: Home Depot continues to receive favorable momentum and “top stock” consideration from Zacks’ screening tools, which may support investor interest and incremental buying from style-oriented investors. Why Home Depot Is a Top Momentum Stock for the Long Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Home Depot trades at roughly 21.6 times earnings, below the S&P 500’s 22.9 multiple. That valuation is not excessive, but investors will likely need evidence of sustained growth to justify further gains. What Changed in Home Depot’s Story?
• Negative Sentiment: Frozen housing activity remains a risk because homeowners may delay major remodeling projects. Dividend-focused investors are also weighing Home Depot’s current yield against Lowe’s faster potential dividend growth, which could limit its appeal to some income investors. Home Depot vs. Lowe’s: Higher Yield or Faster Dividend Growth?

Home Depot Company Profile

The Home Depot, Inc is a home improvement retailer serving do-it-yourself customers, professional contractors, and other building and maintenance professionals. The company sells a broad selection of building materials, hardware, tools, appliances, paint, plumbing and electrical supplies, flooring, lighting, lawn and garden products, and home décor.

In addition to merchandise, Home Depot offers services such as product delivery, tool and equipment rental, credit services, and installation for selected products.