Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Reduces Position in The Home Depot, Inc. $HD

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD) by 1.4% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 262,834 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 3,853 shares during the quarter. Home Depot comprises approximately 1.7% of Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Home Depot were worth $106,498,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Legend Financial Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Home Depot in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Sagard Holdings Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Home Depot in the second quarter worth $29,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new position in shares of Home Depot in the second quarter worth $32,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of Home Depot in the second quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Dougherty Wealth Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of Home Depot in the third quarter valued at $38,000. Institutional investors own 70.86% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HD has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Daiwa Capital Markets increased their price objective on Home Depot from $348.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. DA Davidson lowered their price target on shares of Home Depot from $430.00 to $407.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Home Depot from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 27th. Wolfe Research upped their target price on shares of Home Depot from $414.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, DZ Bank reiterated a “sell” rating on shares of Home Depot in a research note on Tuesday, November 18th. Twenty-one investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $402.10.

Insider Activity at Home Depot

In related news, EVP Angie Brown sold 1,946 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $357.63, for a total value of $695,947.98. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 3,941 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,409,419.83. This represents a 33.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Teresa Wynn Roseborough sold 2,872 shares of Home Depot stock in a transaction dated 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 directly 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 4,963 shares of company stock valued at $1,748,845 over the last 90 days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Home Depot

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

• Positive Sentiment: Investors expect a White House housing initiative to boost homebuilding and repair activity, which should lift demand for Home Depot’s products and services. Trump Housing Plan Sends Home Depot Stock Higher
• Positive Sentiment: Large call buying occurred today (46,130 calls, ~37% above typical volume), indicating speculative or hedged bullish positioning that can amplify upside near term.
• Positive Sentiment: Prominent TV commentary favors HD as a housing/play (Jim Cramer preferring Home Depot), which can drive retail flows and sentiment. Jim Cramer Prefers Home Depot Over Fortune Brands as a Housing Play
• Positive Sentiment: A vendor-related issue (Kurt Weiss Greenhouses) drew attention but the company’s response was viewed positively by some outlets, removing a near-term reputational overhang. Home Depot Stock Surges With Kurt Weiss Greenhouses Response
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader market strength (Dow gains) has supported HD alongside other large-cap consumer names, a technical tailwind rather than company-specific news. Nike, Home Depot share gains contribute to Dow’s nearly 225-point jump
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor interest metrics and analyst/valuation write-ups are getting attention, but they largely summarize mixed fundamentals (recent EPS miss vs. solid revenue) rather than new catalysts. Assessing Home Depot (HD) Valuation After Recent Mixed Share Price Performance Investors Heavily Search The Home Depot, Inc. (HD)
• Negative Sentiment: Earlier unusual put buying (57,026 puts) indicates some market participants taking or hedging for downside risk—this raises near-term volatility risk.
• Negative Sentiment: A Pomerantz law firm investigation notice was filed, signaling potential shareholder litigation risk that can weigh on sentiment until resolved. Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Investors of The Home Depot, Inc.

Home Depot Stock Up 4.2%

HD stock opened at $374.67 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $354.54 and its 200 day moving average is $377.63. The stock has a market cap of $372.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 13.40 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.82. The Home Depot, Inc. has a 1-year low of $326.31 and a 1-year high of $426.75.

Home Depot (NYSE:HD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 18th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.74 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.83 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $41.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $41.06 billion. Home Depot had a return on equity of 160.74% and a net margin of 8.77%.Home Depot’s quarterly revenue was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.78 EPS. Home Depot has set its FY 2025 guidance at 14.478-14.478 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that The Home Depot, Inc. will post 15.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Home Depot Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, December 18th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 4th were given a $2.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 4th. This represents a $9.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. Home Depot’s payout ratio is 62.71%.

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.