Griffith & Werner Inc. Makes New $3.60 Million Investment in The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD)

Griffith & Werner Inc. purchased a new stake in The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 9,253 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock, valued at approximately $3,599,000. Home Depot accounts for approximately 2.4% of Griffith & Werner Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Synergy Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Home Depot during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Home Depot in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Navigoe LLC bought a new position in Home Depot during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Bradley & Co. Private Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Home Depot in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Quarry LP boosted its position in Home Depot by 220.0% during the fourth quarter. Quarry LP now owns 96 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. 70.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on HD shares. HSBC upgraded Home Depot from a "reduce" rating to a "hold" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $356.00 to $410.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $450.00 price objective on shares of Home Depot in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $455.00 target price on shares of Home Depot in a research report on Tuesday, May 20th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of Home Depot from $424.00 to $399.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 15th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their price objective on shares of Home Depot from $450.00 to $435.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-one have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $426.77.

Home Depot Price Performance

Home Depot stock traded up $7.25 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $369.96. 3,992,800 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,433,908. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $360.09 and a 200-day moving average price of $386.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.65, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 1.13. The stock has a market cap of $367.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.03 and a beta of 1.05. The Home Depot, Inc. has a one year low of $323.77 and a one year high of $439.37.

Home Depot (NYSE:HD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.56 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $3.59 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $39.86 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $39.24 billion. Home Depot had a net margin of 9.45% and a return on equity of 452.60%. The firm's revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.63 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that The Home Depot, Inc. will post 15.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Home Depot Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 18th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 5th will be given a dividend of $2.30 per share. This represents a $9.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.49%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 5th. Home Depot's dividend payout ratio is currently 62.42%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Home Depot news, EVP Fahim Siddiqui sold 2,600 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $367.14, for a total transaction of $954,564.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 7,951 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,919,130.14. This represents a 24.64% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Home Depot Profile

The Home Depot, Inc operates as a home improvement retailer in the United States and internationally. It sells various building materials, home improvement products, lawn and garden products, and décor products, as well as facilities maintenance, repair, and operations products. The company also offers installation services for flooring, water heaters, bath, garage doors, cabinets, cabinet makeovers, countertops, sheds, furnaces and central air systems, and windows.