The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD) Shares Purchased by Waddell & Associates LLC

Key Points

• Waddell & Associates LLC increased its stock position in The Home Depot by 29.9% in the first quarter, owning 6,515 shares valued at approximately $2.39 million.
• Several hedge funds have recently boosted their holdings in Home Depot, with institutional investors owning 70.86% of the stock.
• Home Depot announced a quarterly dividend of $2.30 per share, representing a 2.45% dividend yield and a payout ratio of 62.42%.

Waddell & Associates LLC boosted its position in shares of The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD - Free Report) by 29.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 6,515 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 1,499 shares during the quarter. Waddell & Associates LLC's holdings in Home Depot were worth $2,388,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of HD. Navigoe LLC bought a new position in shares of Home Depot in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Abound Financial LLC bought a new stake in Home Depot during the 1st quarter worth approximately $31,000. Quarry LP raised its stake in Home Depot by 220.0% during the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 96 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in Home Depot by 86.8% during the 1st quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 99 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the period. Finally, Quest 10 Wealth Builders Inc. raised its stake in Home Depot by 35.7% during the 1st quarter. Quest 10 Wealth Builders Inc. now owns 114 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the period. 70.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Home Depot Stock Down 0.6%

HD traded down $2.36 on Thursday, hitting $369.73. The company had a trading volume of 1,357,657 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,533,693. The Home Depot, Inc. has a 12-month low of $326.31 and a 12-month high of $439.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $367.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.11, a P/E/G ratio of 3.59 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.95, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 1.09. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $365.60 and a 200-day moving average price of $373.68.

Home Depot (NYSE:HD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.56 earnings per share 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 analysts' expectations of $39.24 billion. Home Depot had a return on equity of 242.51% and a net margin of 8.98%. Home Depot's revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.63 EPS. Analysts predict that The Home Depot, Inc. will post 15.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Home Depot Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 18th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 5th were given a $2.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 5th. This represents a $9.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.49%. Home Depot's dividend payout ratio is currently 62.42%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on HD. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $415.00 price objective (up from $410.00) on shares of Home Depot in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. Mizuho cut their target price on shares of Home Depot from $450.00 to $435.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Home Depot from $410.00 to $418.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 21st. Gordon Haskett raised their target price on shares of Home Depot from $350.00 to $360.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. Finally, DA Davidson cut their target price on shares of Home Depot from $470.00 to $450.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $426.77.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 7,951 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,919,130.14. This represents a 24.64% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Teresa Wynn Roseborough sold 5,406 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $369.28, for a total value of $1,996,327.68. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 17,367 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,413,285.76. The trade was a 23.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.10% of the company's stock.

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.