Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Acquires 128,945 Shares of The Home Depot, Inc. $HD

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group bought an additional 128,945 shares of The Home Depot in Q3, boosting its stake 981.8% to 142,078 shares worth about $57.6 million and making HD its 23rd-largest holding (~0.3% of assets).
• Q4 results topped EPS estimates ($2.72 vs. $2.52) but revenue fell ~3.8% YoY; management set FY2026 EPS guidance of 14.23–14.80 while analysts expect ~15.13, and the company carries high leverage (debt/equity ~3.6) with a payout ratio near 65%.
• Dividend and insider activity: Home Depot raised its quarterly dividend to $2.33 (annualized $9.32, ~2.6% yield), while insiders have sold shares recently, including the CFO’s sale of 2,550 shares (~$940k).

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD - Free Report) by 981.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 142,078 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after buying an additional 128,945 shares during the quarter. Home Depot accounts for about 0.3% of Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest position. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in Home Depot were worth $57,569,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Sagard Holdings Management Inc. bought a new stake in Home Depot during the second quarter worth $29,000. Financially Speaking Inc bought a new position in Home Depot in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new position in Home Depot in the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Home Depot during the 2nd quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Dougherty Wealth Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of Home Depot during the 3rd quarter worth $38,000. 70.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Home Depot Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of NYSE HD opened at $358.28 on Monday. The Home Depot, Inc. has a 52 week low of $326.31 and a 52 week high of $426.75. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $373.58 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $378.45. The company has a quick ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.62. The company has a market cap of $356.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.18, a P/E/G ratio of 12.86 and a beta of 1.09.

Home Depot (NYSE:HD - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The home improvement retailer reported $2.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $38.01 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.13 EPS. The company's quarterly 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. Research analysts anticipate that The Home Depot, Inc. will post 15.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Home Depot Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 12th will be issued a dividend of $2.33 per share. This is a boost from Home Depot's previous quarterly dividend of $2.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 12th. This represents a $9.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. Home Depot's payout ratio is currently 64.65%.

More Home Depot News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Launched a real‑time GPS delivery tracker for big & bulky materials aimed at Pro customers — this product should reduce jobsite downtime, deepen contractor relationships and increase service stickiness for Home Depot’s high-value Pro channel. PR Newswire: Delivery Tracker
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish media endorsement from Jim Cramer — he flagged HD as a core holding for when rates are cut, which can lift investor interest in cyclical/interest-rate-sensitive names. MSN: Jim Cramer
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increased to $2.33 quarterly (annualized $9.32, ~2.6% yield) — supports income investor demand and underscores management’s confidence in cash flow. MarketBeat: HD overview
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional repositioning — several smaller institutional buys reported in Q4 but overall ownership remains concentrated (≈71% institutional). These moves are incremental and not large directional shifts. MarketBeat: Institutional activity
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst coverage — majority of analysts rate HD Buy/Moderate Buy with a consensus target above the current price, but several firms trimmed targets recently; investors watch revisions for guidance on earnings momentum. Yahoo: Buy/Sell/Hold discussion
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — CFO Richard McPhail sold 2,550 shares (~$940k). Insider sales can prompt short‑term selling or investor caution even when not uncommon. InsiderTrades: CFO sale
• Negative Sentiment: Top‑line softness and valuation pressure — Q4 revenue fell ~3.8% YoY despite an EPS beat, and some commentary/articles flag valuation concerns relative to growth. High leverage (debt/equity ~3.6) and a payout ratio near ~65% increase sensitivity to slower sales. Yahoo: Delivery tracker + valuation note

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Richard V. Mcphail sold 2,550 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was 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 directly owned 44,566 shares in the company, valued at $16,439,951.74. The trade was a 5.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Ann Marie Campbell sold 145 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $358.26, for a total value of $51,947.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 12,320 shares in the company, valued at $4,413,763.20. This represents a 1.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 7,513 shares of company stock valued at $2,689,515. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HD has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Home Depot from $430.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Oppenheimer decreased their price objective on shares of Home Depot from $420.00 to $405.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 5th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Home Depot from $400.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Home Depot from $410.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Gordon Haskett increased their target price on shares of Home Depot from $330.00 to $370.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $416.00.

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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