Home DepotHDHOLDNov 29, 2016Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Oct 23, 2026. Market Open.
Both new home construction and renovation are suffering. Mortgage rates are high, population growth has stalled, immigration laws have increased labour costs. Relatively demanding multiple, but not really any growth.
Wait to see green shoots of improving consumer confidence and of new/renovated home activity before entering the space.
Dominant home improvement retailer in US. Its edge is being a one-stop shop for complex, multi-trade projects. Taking share from both LOW and specialty suppliers. Expanded into roofing, building products, and repair/maintenance. Stepped up e-commerce.
13% compound pace of dividend increases over last decade. Lagged effect of interest rate increases in US likely to shore up housing this year and bolster earnings. Yield is 2.50%.
A great company, but also a $160 billion company trading at 18.5X forward earnings, which is a premium to the market. The fact that it is a great company is reflected in the stock. The US housing market has recovered. It is now at 1.3 million home starts on an annualized basis. On a normalized basis based on the last 40 years, you’ve had about 1.3-1.5 million starts, so you are back to where US housing should be. This will be a beneficiary of that, but the market already reflects that. It is hard to grow a $160 billion retail company, and paying a premium to the market is challenging. If you don’t own it, he would look elsewhere.