The Home Depot, Inc. $HD Shares Bought by Markel Group Inc.

Key Points

• Markel Group increased its Home Depot stake by 1% in the third quarter, adding 9,500 shares to bring its holding to 932,000 shares, valued at about $265.1 million.
• Home Depot beat quarterly expectations, reporting earnings of $4.92 per share and revenue of $47.86 billion; revenue rose 5.7% year over year.
• Analysts give the stock a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating, with an average price target of $375.31.

Markel Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD - Free Report) by 1.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 932,000 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 9,500 shares during the quarter. Home Depot comprises about 2.1% of Markel Group Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Markel Group Inc. owned 0.09% of Home Depot worth $265,145,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of HD. Zeit Capital LLC bought a new position in Home Depot in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Next Level Wealth Planning LLC bought a new stake in shares of Home Depot during the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Principia Wealth Advisory LLC raised its position in shares of Home Depot by 60.4% during the 2nd quarter. Principia Wealth Advisory LLC now owns 85 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. Navigoe LLC bought a new stake in shares of Home Depot during the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Livelsberger Financial Advisory acquired a new stake in shares of Home Depot in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. 70.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $425.00 price objective on shares of Home Depot in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Home Depot in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Truist Financial boosted their target price on Home Depot from $369.00 to $373.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 19th. Sanford C. Bernstein cut their target price on Home Depot from $354.00 to $344.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. Finally, Mizuho upped their target price on Home Depot from $385.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $375.31.

Home Depot Price Performance

NYSE:HD opened at $333.49 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.64. The business's 50-day moving average price is $308.48 and its 200 day moving average price is $334.51. The Home Depot, Inc. has a 52-week low of $277.15 and a 52-week high of $397.63. The firm has a market cap of $332.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.34, a PEG ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.93.

Home Depot (NYSE:HD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 18th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.92 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.73 by $0.19. Home Depot had a net margin of 8.41% and a return on equity of 106.42%. The company had revenue of $47.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $47.24 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $4.68 EPS. Home Depot's revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. Home Depot has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.690-15.278 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that The Home Depot, Inc. will post 15.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Home Depot Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 3rd were issued a $2.33 dividend. This represents a $9.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, September 3rd. Home Depot's payout ratio is presently 65.22%.

Home Depot News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Home Depot recently beat earnings expectations, supporting optimism about its ability to deliver results even in a challenging housing environment. Home Depot Stock Could Be Poised for a Turnaround
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlights Home Depot’s 17 consecutive years of dividend increases and its scale, which may help it remain resilient and sustain shareholder returns through a weak housing cycle. Home Depot Has Raised Its Dividend 17 Straight Years
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst-oriented coverage says Home Depot has a record of earnings surprises and may be positioned to beat estimates again; this is a forecast, not a reported result. The company will hold its third-quarter earnings call on November 17. Will Home Depot Beat Estimates Again? Third Quarter Earnings Call Announcement
• Negative Sentiment: The stock’s weakness amid a broader-market uptick suggests investors remain cautious. Recent commentary cites a historically sluggish housing market and shares being down for the year as factors that could weigh on expectations for renovation-related spending. Home Depot Stock Falls Amid Market Uptick

Insider Buying and Selling at Home Depot

In related news, EVP Teresa Roseborough sold 2,455 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $328.77, for a total transaction of $807,130.35. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 14,061 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,622,834.97. This trade represents a 14.86% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Richard V. Mcphail sold 5,989 shares of Home Depot stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $348.40, for a total transaction of $2,086,567.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 48,104 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,759,433.60. This trade represents a 11.07% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 9,829 shares of company stock valued at $3,339,314 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.08% of the company's stock.

Home Depot Company Profile

The Home Depot, Inc is a home improvement retailer serving do-it-yourself customers, professional contractors, and other building and maintenance professionals. The company sells a broad selection of building materials, hardware, tools, appliances, paint, plumbing and electrical supplies, flooring, lighting, lawn and garden products, and home décor.

In addition to merchandise, Home Depot offers services such as product delivery, tool and equipment rental, credit services, and installation for selected products.

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