Stock price when the opinion was issued
Interest rates cuts are stalling, so shares are -7.74% the past month; housing turnover and the weather have been bad. Tool sales are down. It reports tomorrow, but he will buy after that report. He has faith, because when the street was shorting this in 2008's housing crisis, HD gained market share and bought back a ton of shares.
Last September, he sold and took profits. Shares are trading ~24x forward PE, for 5% EPS growth. Valuation's expensive. EPS growth rate expectations have come down. Cautious spending by consumers, stock's slipped below 200-day MA. Long-term inflation is dampening the DIYers, sluggish home sales. A name to own early economic cycle, and we're about mid-way through now.
The home improvers thrived during the pandemic, then the consumer pivoted to services. Now, this has normalized and as interest rates declined, hone projects will pick up. These type of retailers tend to improve before 1-2 quarters before the Fed cuts then keep doing well. HD has done helpful acquisitions and it focuses on their pro customers. Two tailwinds. It pays a 2.5% dividend, which they never cut.
(Analysts’ price target is $373.32)