The Home Depot, Inc. $HD Shares Purchased by World Investment Advisors

Key Points

• World Investment Advisors increased its Home Depot stake by 6.2% in the fourth quarter, buying 4,685 more shares and lifting its position to 80,169 shares worth about $27.6 million.
• Home Depot reported quarterly earnings of $2.72 per share, beating estimates, while revenue came in slightly above expectations at $38.2 billion despite a 3.8% year-over-year decline.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $2.33 per share from $2.30, giving it an annualized yield of about 3.0%, even as analysts remain mixed with a Moderate Buy consensus and some warning of weaker near-term earnings.

World Investment Advisors lifted its holdings in The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD - Free Report) by 6.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 80,169 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 4,685 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors' holdings in Home Depot were worth $27,586,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Birchbrook Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Home Depot by 9.9% in the fourth quarter. Birchbrook Inc. now owns 720 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $248,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Opinicus Capital Inc. grew its holdings in Home Depot by 7.4% during the 4th quarter. Opinicus Capital Inc. now owns 5,489 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $1,889,000 after acquiring an additional 380 shares in the last quarter. Argos Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Home Depot during the 4th quarter worth approximately $358,000. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. grew its holdings in Home Depot by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. now owns 11,467 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $3,946,000 after acquiring an additional 388 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ELCO Management Co. LLC grew its holdings in Home Depot by 5.2% during the 4th quarter. ELCO Management Co. LLC now owns 7,578 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $2,607,000 after acquiring an additional 377 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.86% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Home Depot

In other news, CFO Richard V. Mcphail sold 2,550 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $368.89, for a total transaction of $940,669.50. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 44,566 shares in the company, valued at $16,439,951.74. This represents a 5.41% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Home Depot News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Home Depot was named one of the best blue-chip dividend stocks, reinforcing its appeal to income-focused investors thanks to its roughly 3% dividend yield. The Home Depot (HD) – Among the 12 Best Blue Chip Dividend Stocks to Buy Now
• Positive Sentiment: SRS Distribution completed its acquisition of Mingledorff’s, adding more HVAC distribution capacity and strengthening Home Depot’s pro-focused business. SRS Distribution Completes Acquisition of HVAC Distributor Mingledorff's
• Neutral Sentiment: Several market articles suggested Home Depot may be worth revisiting after recent weakness, but they did not point to a new catalyst and focused more on valuation questions. Is It Time To Revisit Home Depot (HD) After Recent Share Price Weakness?
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts expect a year-over-year earnings decline in the next report, which is weighing on sentiment ahead of results. Analysts Estimate Home Depot (HD) to Report a Decline in Earnings: What to Look Out for
• Negative Sentiment: Broader commentary on consumer discretionary stocks warned that higher rates and weak housing activity can postpone home-improvement spending, with Home Depot cited as an example. 3 Stocks That Win If Inflation Surprises to the Downside (HD)

Home Depot Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of Home Depot stock opened at $310.61 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $309.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.83, a PEG ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.62, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 1.06. The Home Depot, Inc. has a one year low of $309.11 and a one year high of $426.75. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $335.81 and a two-hundred day moving average of $355.95.

Home Depot (NYSE:HD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The home improvement retailer reported $2.72 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.52 by $0.20. Home Depot had a net margin of 8.60% and a return on equity of 134.32%. The business had revenue of $38.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $38.01 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.13 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. Home Depot has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.230-14.799 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that The Home Depot, Inc. will post 15.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Home Depot Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 12th were issued a $2.33 dividend. This is a positive change from Home Depot's previous quarterly dividend of $2.30. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 12th. This represents a $9.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. Home Depot's payout ratio is currently 65.50%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HD has been the subject of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Home Depot from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday. Daiwa Securities Group boosted their price target on shares of Home Depot from $360.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Home Depot from $363.00 to $377.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $435.00 price target on shares of Home Depot in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Home Depot in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Twenty analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $409.14.

Home Depot 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.