Sanford C. Bernstein Cuts Home Depot (NYSE:HD) Price Target to $344.00

Home Depot (NYSE:HD) had its price target lowered by Sanford C. Bernstein from $354.00 to $344.00 in a report published on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a market perform rating on the home improvement retailer’s stock.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Home Depot from $320.00 to $340.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, August 17th. HSBC reduced their price objective on shares of Home Depot from $392.00 to $310.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $377.00 target price on shares of Home Depot in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Gordon Haskett upped their target price on shares of Home Depot from $320.00 to $330.00 in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Home Depot from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Eighteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $375.18.

Home Depot Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of Home Depot stock opened at $308.86 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $335.14 and a 200 day simple moving average of $333.90. The stock has a market cap of $308.14 billion, a PE ratio of 21.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.36 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a quick ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.64. Home Depot has a 12 month low of $289.10 and a 12 month high of $426.75.

Home Depot (NYSE:HD) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 18th. The home improvement retailer reported $4.92 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.73 by $0.19. Home Depot had a return on equity of 106.42% and a net margin of 8.41%.The firm had revenue of $47.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $47.24 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.68 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly 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. Research analysts predict that Home Depot will post 15 EPS for the current year.

Home Depot Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be issued a dividend of $2.33 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 3rd. This represents a $9.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Home Depot’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 65.22%.

Insider Transactions at Home Depot

In other Home Depot news, CAO Kimberly R. Scardino sold 675 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $305.95, for a total transaction of $206,516.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 8,189 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,505,424.55. This represents a 7.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Michael F. Rowe sold 710 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $336.76, for a total transaction of $239,099.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 6,838 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,302,764.88. This represents a 9.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 9,829 shares of company stock worth $3,339,314 in the last 90 days. 0.08% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Advocate Investing Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Home Depot during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Zeit Capital LLC bought a new stake in Home Depot during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Parvin Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Home Depot by 110.0% during the third quarter. Parvin Asset Management LLC now owns 63 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Cache Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Home Depot during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Home Depot during the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.86% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Home Depot

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

• Positive Sentiment: Home Depot continues to benefit from momentum among professional customers, digital sales and faster fulfillment. These trends could help offset softer consumer traffic and support longer-term growth. Home Depot Drops 12.4% in a Month: Time to Buy or Stay Cautious?
• Positive Sentiment: The retailer is adding convenience and engagement features to its shopping experience, including a perk modeled after Costco’s approach. The initiative may improve customer retention and store visits, although its financial impact is not yet clear. Home Depot Tries to Copy Major Costco Perk
• Positive Sentiment: Home Depot remains highlighted as a company with a durable record of dividend increases, which may appeal to income-oriented investors during the housing slowdown. 5 Stocks That Keep Raising Their Dividend Regardless of the Market
• Neutral Sentiment: Chief Accounting Officer Kimberly Scardino sold 675 shares for approximately $206,516, reducing her holdings by 7.62% but retaining 8,189 shares. The transaction is relatively small and may have limited investment significance. SEC Insider Trading Filing
• Neutral Sentiment: A quantitative signal has emerged for contrarian options traders, potentially reflecting expectations that HD’s recent weakness is overdone; it does not change the company’s underlying fundamentals. A Rare Quant Signal Just Flashed for Contrarian Options Traders in Home Depot Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts continue to flag weaker store traffic: recent growth has come from larger baskets and fewer transactions, increasing concern that shoppers may keep visiting less frequently as housing activity remains subdued. What Happens to Home Depot Stock If Shoppers Keep Visiting Less?
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group Bank modestly lowered its FY2028 earnings estimate to $16.02 per share from $16.05, while Bernstein issued a pessimistic forecast for HD. The cautious analyst tone may weigh on sentiment despite Home Depot’s latest earnings beat. Sanford C. Bernstein Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Home Depot Stock

Home Depot Company Profile

The Home Depot, Inc is a home improvement retailer that sells building materials, appliances, decor, hardware, tools, paint, lawn and garden products, and related merchandise. The company serves do-it-yourself customers, professional contractors, homebuilders, and other commercial customers through its retail stores and digital platforms.

Home Depot also provides services such as equipment and tool rental, delivery, installation, and project support. Its professional-focused offerings include job-lot quantities, specialized products, credit services, and account support designed for contractors and other trade customers.

Founded in 1978 by Bernie Marcus, Arthur Blank, Ken Langone, and Pat Farrah, the company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.