Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich Decreases Stock Position in The Home Depot, Inc. $HD

Key Points

• Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich cut its Home Depot stake by 51.9% in the fourth quarter, selling 116,773 shares and leaving it with 108,305 shares valued at about $37.3 million.
• Wall Street sentiment remains generally constructive, with Home Depot holding a Moderate Buy consensus rating and an average price target of $405.69, even as several firms trimmed their targets recently.
• Home Depot reported better-than-expected February-quarter results, and it recently raised its quarterly dividend to $2.33 per share, though the stock has been under pressure amid housing-market weakness and a pre-earnings pullback.

Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich trimmed its holdings in The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD - Free Report) by 51.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 108,305 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after selling 116,773 shares during the period. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich's holdings in Home Depot were worth $37,297,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HD. Stegent Equity Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Home Depot by 2.7% in the third quarter. Stegent Equity Advisors Inc. now owns 1,006 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $408,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. Arcus Capital Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Home Depot by 1.1% during 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 during the last quarter. Westfuller Advisors LLC lifted its stake 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 valued at $456,000 after buying an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Home Depot by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Darwin Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,949 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $1,703,000 after buying an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alesco Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Home Depot by 3.2% during the 4th quarter. Alesco Advisors LLC now owns 866 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $298,000 after buying an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. 70.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HD has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Gordon Haskett cut their price target on Home Depot from $395.00 to $330.00 in a report on Friday, May 8th. TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Home Depot in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their target price on shares of Home Depot from $390.00 to $365.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Home Depot from $450.00 to $400.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Home Depot from $412.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Home Depot currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $405.69.

Home Depot Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:HD opened at $304.46 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $303.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.40, a P/E/G ratio of 3.49 and a beta of 1.00. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $333.21 and a 200-day simple moving average of $354.79. The Home Depot, Inc. has a 52 week low of $299.27 and a 52 week high of $426.75. The company has a quick ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.62.

Home Depot (NYSE:HD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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. The firm had revenue of $38.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $38.01 billion. Home Depot had a return on equity of 134.32% and a net margin of 8.60%.The firm's quarterly revenue was down 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.13 EPS. Home Depot has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.230-14.799 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that The Home Depot, Inc. will post 15.03 EPS for the current year.

Home Depot Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 12th were given a $2.33 dividend. This is a boost from Home Depot's previous quarterly dividend of $2.30. This represents a $9.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 12th. Home Depot's dividend payout ratio is 65.50%.

Home Depot News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Telsey Advisory reiterated its Buy rating on Home Depot, adding to the view that the company remains a quality name ahead of earnings. Telsey Advisory Sticks to Their Buy Rating for Home Depot (HD)
• Positive Sentiment: Several market comments pointed to improving spring demand, stronger Pro customer activity, and continued big-ticket sales momentum, which could help offset housing-market weakness. Analyst Reaffirms Buy on Home Depot, Citing Resilient Spring Demand, Pro Strength, and Big-Ticket Sales Momentum
• Positive Sentiment: Mortgage rates moved to five-week highs, but reports noted that homebuyers are still returning, which is a constructive sign for home-improvement demand and HD’s long-term sales outlook. Mortgage Rates Hit Five-Week Highs—But Homebuyers Are Returning, Boosting Home Depot, Lowe's And Other Builders
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on Home Depot’s upcoming first-quarter earnings on May 19, with analysts watching whether sales growth, Pro demand, and digital tools can offset continued pressure from the weak housing market. Home Depot to Post Q1 Earnings: Is Now the Right Time to Invest?
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street cut some price targets, including Sanford C. Bernstein and Truist, but both firms kept constructive ratings overall, suggesting valuation concerns rather than a major change in the long-term outlook. Price target updates on Home Depot
• Negative Sentiment: Home Depot has been hit by a pre-earnings pullback as investors worry that housing turnover remains too weak to drive a near-term acceleration in DIY spending. Blue-Chip Stock Seeing a Pre-Earnings Pullback
• Negative Sentiment: Broader housing-sector weakness continues to weigh on sentiment, with analysts noting that Home Depot’s business is sensitive to slower housing turnover and higher rates. Jim Cramer on Home Depot: “It Needs Housing Turnover”

Insider Transactions at Home Depot

In related news, CFO Richard V. Mcphail sold 2,550 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $368.89, for a total transaction of $940,669.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 44,566 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $16,439,951.74. This represents a 5.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.08% of the company's stock.

About Home Depot

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.

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