Home Depot (NYSE:HD) Stock Price Down 0.7% - Time to Sell?

The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD - Get Free Report) fell 0.7% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $355.00 and last traded at $356.97. 478,271 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 86% from the average session volume of 3,453,218 shares. The stock had previously closed at $359.64.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on HD shares. KGI Securities upgraded shares of Home Depot to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on Home Depot from $440.00 to $430.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Home Depot from $450.00 to $475.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, February 10th. HSBC raised Home Depot from a "reduce" rating to a "hold" rating and increased their price target for the company from $356.00 to $410.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Home Depot from $440.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Home Depot currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $434.08.

Home Depot Stock Down 0.6 %

The company has a market capitalization of $355.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.29, a PEG ratio of 4.03 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.65. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $363.97 and its 200-day simple moving average is $392.11.

Home Depot (NYSE:HD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 25th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.13 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.04 by $0.09. Home Depot had a return on equity of 452.60% and a net margin of 9.45%. The company had revenue of $39.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $39.15 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.82 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 14.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Home Depot, Inc. will post 15.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Home Depot Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 13th were given a dividend of $2.30 per share. This is a positive change from Home Depot's previous quarterly dividend of $2.25. This represents a $9.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.57%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 13th. Home Depot's dividend payout ratio is presently 61.66%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Home Depot

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. POM Investment Strategies LLC increased its holdings in shares of Home Depot by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 2,117 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $824,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Center for Financial Planning Inc. grew its holdings in Home Depot by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Center for Financial Planning Inc. now owns 4,653 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $1,810,000 after buying an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Marino Stram & Associates LLC increased its stake in shares of Home Depot by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Marino Stram & Associates LLC now owns 1,108 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $431,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Live Oak Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Home Depot by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Live Oak Private Wealth LLC now owns 4,915 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock worth $1,912,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the period. Finally, Mezzasalma Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Home Depot by 4.0% during the 4th quarter. Mezzasalma Advisors LLC now owns 655 shares of the home improvement retailer's stock valued at $255,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.86% of the company's stock.

About Home Depot

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.