Home Depot Tops Q3 Earnings With Strong Outlook

By Chris Lange Updated Jan 13, 5:07PM EST · Published Nov 17, 9:15AM EST

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Home Depot Tops Q3 Earnings With Strong Outlook — © Thinkstock

Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD) reported its fiscal third-quarter financial results before the markets opened on Tuesday. The company posted $1.35 in earnings per share (EPS) on revenue of $21.8 billion. That compared to Thomson Reuters consensus estimates of $1.32 in EPS on $21.76 billion in revenue. In the same period of the previous year, the retailer posted EPS of $1.11 and $20.52 billion in revenue.

Comparable store sales for the third quarter of fiscal 2015 were positive 5.1%, and comp sales for U.S. stores were positive 7.3%.

At the end of the third quarter, Home Depot operated a total of 2,273 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico.

In terms of guidance, the company expects EPS to grow by roughly 14% to $5.36, assuming foreign exchange rates remain at current levels. Also it expects sales growth of approximately 5.7%, with comps of approximately 4.9%. The consensus estimates for the fiscal full year call for $5.31 in EPS on $87.74 billion in revenue.

Craig Menear, chairman, CEO and president of Home Depot, commented on earnings:

During the quarter, we saw broad-based growth across our geographies and product categories, led by growth in transactions from both our DIY and Pro customers. I would like to thank our associates for their hard work and dedication to our customers.

On the books, the company had $3.04 billion in cash and cash equivalents at the end of the quarter, compared to $2.18 billion at the end of the same period from the previous year.

Shares of Home Depot closed Monday up 0.7% at $120.84, with a consensus analyst price target of $131.48 and a 52-week trading range of $92.17 to $126.12. Following the release of the earnings report, shares were up 2.7% at $124.14 in early trading indications on Tuesday.

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About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.