Home Depot (HD) Shares Rally 4% on Earnings Beat, Results Seen as Strong

Shares of Home Depot (NYSE: HD) are up nearly 4% in premarket trading Tuesday after the company reported better-than-expected Q1 comparable sales.

Net sales came in at $38.91 billion in the quarter, up 3.8% YoY and above the consensus estimates of $36.83 billion. HD reported a Q1 EPS of $4.09, up from $3.86 in the year-ago period and topping the estimated $3.71 per share.

Comparable sales rose 2.2% in the quarter, up 31% YoY, while analysts were expecting a decline of 2.2%. U.S. comparable sales surged 1.7%, up 29.9% YoY, beating the expected decline of 1.75%. Average ticket sales stood at $91.72, up 11% year-over-year.

For the full fiscal 2023, HD expects EPS growth in the mid-single digits, compared to its previous forecast of low-single-digit growth. The company expects comparable sales to rise roughly 3%, up from the previously expected 1.45% growth.

FY operating margin is expected to be around 15.4%, compared to its “approximately flat” earlier forecast.

“The solid performance in the quarter is even more impressive as we were comparing against last year’s historic growth and faced a slower start to spring this year,” the company said.

Telsey Advisory Group analyst Joseph Feldman said HD delivered a “strong start to 2022.”

“Home Depot reported a strong 1Q22, with a better-than-expected comp of 2.2%, reflecting solid home improvement demand, supported by elevated home prices, healthy remodeling activity, and solid household formation. Home Depot should remain a winner in retail, given its best-in-class execution, digital prowess, and permanent and hybrid work-from-home arrangements causing more maintenance and repair activity,” Feldman said in a client note.

Goldman Sachs Kate McShane reiterated a Buy rating and a $356.00 per share price target on HD stock.

“HD's 1Q22 results were unexpectedly strong in light of several macro headwinds facing home improvement retailers, including a slowing housing market, a potentially weaker consumer, and weaker weather to start the spring selling season. With inflation in raw material, freight, labor, and energy costs seeming to persist across the housing names (based on our vendor read-throughs), it is particularly notable that HD was able to generate a gross/operating margin beat vs. consensus in conjunction with the strong top-line result,” McShane said in a client note.

By Senad Karaahmetovic

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