Rafferty Asset Management LLC Grows Stock Holdings in The Home Depot, Inc. $HD

Rafferty Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD) by 24.6% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 139,161 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 27,482 shares during the quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Home Depot were worth $56,387,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Teresa Wynn Roseborough sold 2,872 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $348.52, for a total value of $1,000,949.44. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 13,196 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,599,069.92. This trade represents a 17.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Ann Marie Campbell sold 145 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $358.26, for a total transaction of $51,947.70. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 12,320 shares in the company, valued at $4,413,763.20. The trade was a 1.16% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 4,963 shares of company stock worth $1,748,845 over the last quarter. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Home Depot Stock Up 1.5%

HD opened at $380.71 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $379.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 13.44 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.62, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.29. The business has a 50-day moving average of $371.76 and a two-hundred day moving average of $380.00. The Home Depot, Inc. has a 12 month low of $326.31 and a 12 month high of $426.75.

Home Depot (NYSE:HD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The home improvement retailer reported $2.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.52 by $0.20. Home Depot had a return on equity of 134.32% and a net margin of 8.60%.The firm had revenue of $38.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $38.01 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.13 EPS. The firm’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. On average, research analysts expect that The Home Depot, Inc. will post 15.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Home Depot Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 12th will be issued a dividend of $2.33 per share. This represents a $9.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. This is a positive change from Home Depot’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 12th. Home Depot’s dividend payout ratio is currently 64.65%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. BNP Paribas Exane increased their price objective on Home Depot from $355.00 to $391.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Gordon Haskett upped their target price on shares of Home Depot from $330.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. UBS Group increased their price target on Home Depot from $430.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Oppenheimer lowered their price objective on Home Depot from $420.00 to $405.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group lifted their price target on shares of Home Depot from $410.00 to $435.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Home Depot presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $416.00.

Key Headlines Impacting Home Depot

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beats, revenue and dividend hike — Home Depot topped Q4 estimates (EPS and revenue), reported positive comparable‑store sales, and approved a 1.3% dividend increase, signaling management confidence in cash flow. Does Home Depot’s Modest 2026 Outlook And Dividend Hike Reframe The Tech‑And‑Pro Story For HD?
• Positive Sentiment: Pro/customer mix is protecting results — Professional contractors are driving resilience in sales (Pro-focused initiatives, SRS integration and trade services are improving stickiness and margins versus DIY). Home Depot’s Pro Ecosystem Shows Resilience in Soft Market
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support is increasing — Several firms have raised price targets and some analysts (including TD Cowen coverage) kept or added bullish ratings, giving the stock upward momentum. Home Depot: Pro-Focused Growth and Acquisition Integration Position FY26 as an Inflection Year Supporting a Buy Rating
• Positive Sentiment: Recent price‑target upgrades — Firms including Stifel, Daiwa and others nudged up targets post‑earnings, providing technical and sentiment support for the shares. Home Depot price target raised to $375 from $350 at Stifel
• Neutral Sentiment: 2026 guidance is modest — Management gave conservative FY26 sales/EPS guidance (low‑single‑digit sales growth, flat to low single‑digit EPS growth) and plans ~15 new store openings, which tempers upside until the housing cycle improves. Does Home Depot’s Modest 2026 Outlook And Dividend Hike Reframe The Tech‑And‑Pro Story For HD?
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/housing headwinds weigh on sentiment — High mortgage rates and low existing‑home turnover (“lock‑in” effect) are keeping big discretionary remodel projects on hold, which has driven short‑term investor caution and prior sell‑offs. Jim Cramer Wonders Why People Are Selling Home Depot (HD) Shares

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.