Home Depot 2Q sales up on home improvement project demand

Home Depot is seeing sustained demand for goods related to home improvement projects despite soaring prices and mortgage rates for homes.

Revenue for the three months ended July 31 rose 6.5% to $43.79 billion, which topped projections of $43.35 billion on Wall Street, according to a survey by Zacks Investment Research.

Sales at stores open at least a year, a key indicator of a retailer's health, climbed 5.8%, and 5.4% in the U.S.

While the number of customer transactions fell 3%, the amount shoppers spent per transaction rose 9.1%.

The Atlanta company earned $5.17 billion, or $5.05 per share, which also topped per-share projections for $4.95. It was also better than last year's strong second quarter, when the company posted earnings of $4.81 billion.

Profit and sales levels were unprecedented for Home Depot, according to CEO Ted Decker,

Home improvement stores have remained busy during the pandemic as people working from home took on new projects. The spring and summer is also a traditional busy season as home owners head out for flowers, vegetables and other gardening and landscaping goods.

Home Depot has continued to lure customers despite what may be a cooling of the housing market. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes slowed for the fifth consecutive month in June as higher mortgage rates and rising prices kept many home hunters on the sidelines. Existing home sales fell 5.4% in June from May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.12 million, the National Association of Realtors said last month.

Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates soared last week in a continued volatile market as the key 30-year loan rate jumped back over 5%. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported that the 30-year rate rose to 5.22% from 4.99% a week earlier. By contrast, the rate stood at 2.87% a year ago. The average rate on 15-year, fixed-rate mortgages, popular among those looking to refinance their homes, increased to 4.59% from 4.26%.

Home Depot Inc. maintained its fiscal 2022 forecast for mid-single digits earnings per share growth and total sales growth and comparable sales growth of about 3%.