Prudential PLC Raises Holdings in The Home Depot, Inc. $HD

Key Points

• Prudential PLC increased its Home Depot stake by 13.5% in the fourth quarter, buying 6,135 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 51,417 shares worth about $17.7 million.
• Institutional ownership in Home Depot (HD) remains very high, with hedge funds and other institutional investors holding about 70.86% of the stock. Several large investors, including Norges Bank and Vanguard, also added to their positions.
• Home Depot recently reported earnings that slightly beat expectations, with $3.43 EPS on $41.77 billion in revenue, and it also declared a quarterly dividend of $2.33 per share for a 3.0% yield.

Prudential PLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD - Free Report) by 13.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 51,417 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after buying an additional 6,135 shares during the period. Prudential PLC's holdings in Home Depot were worth $17,693,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of HD. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Home Depot during the 4th quarter worth approximately $4,850,329,000. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in shares of Home Depot by 60.8% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 10,143,089 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $4,109,878,000 after buying an additional 3,836,051 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Home Depot by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 99,635,779 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $34,284,672,000 after buying an additional 1,325,748 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in shares of Home Depot by 37.6% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 3,806,308 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $1,542,278,000 after buying an additional 1,040,577 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its stake in shares of Home Depot by 215.4% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,248,615 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $429,648,000 after buying an additional 852,719 shares in the last quarter. 70.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Home Depot

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

• Negative Sentiment: A TipRanks article says Home Depot is slipping as a new major competitor emerges, adding to concerns that the company may face more pricing and traffic pressure in an already challenging market. Home Depot Stock NYSE: HD Slips as New Major Competitor Emerges
• Neutral Sentiment: Jefferies slightly lowered its price target on Home Depot to $360 from $361 while keeping a Buy rating, signaling continued analyst support even though the stock may have limited near-term upside from current levels. Jefferies Adjusts Price Target on Home Depot to $360 From $361, Maintains Buy Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary from The Motley Fool highlighted that Home Depot remains a cyclical business tied to household balance sheets and consumer confidence, but also noted its strength with professional customers, suggesting a mixed outlook rather than a clear catalyst. 3 Things to Know About Home Depot Stock Before You Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage and recent articles have pointed to meaningful upside potential for Home Depot (HD) if valuation support and better housing trends materialize, which could help limit downside and attract dip buyers. How High Can Home Depot’s Stock (HD) Price Rise?

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on HD. HSBC dropped their price objective on Home Depot from $392.00 to $310.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Argus dropped their price objective on Home Depot from $425.00 to $400.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on Home Depot from $377.00 to $340.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Oppenheimer dropped their price objective on Home Depot from $405.00 to $310.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on Home Depot from $422.00 to $421.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Nineteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $371.36.

Home Depot Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:HD opened at $310.30 on Friday. The business's fifty day moving average price is $323.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $348.00. The stock has a market cap of $309.41 billion, a PE ratio of 22.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.61 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.23, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 1.04. The Home Depot, Inc. has a one year low of $289.10 and a one year high of $426.75.

Home Depot (NYSE:HD - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 19th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.43 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.41 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $41.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $41.59 billion. Home Depot had a return on equity of 117.24% and a net margin of 8.41%.Home Depot's quarterly revenue was up 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.56 EPS. Home Depot has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.690-15.278 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that The Home Depot, Inc. will post 15.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Home Depot Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 18th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 4th will be issued a dividend of $2.33 per share. This represents a $9.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 4th. Home Depot's dividend payout ratio is 66.19%.

Home Depot Company Profile

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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