Residence Depot tops estimates as gross sales surge 25%, however shares fall on worries pandemic good points will not final

Home Depot‘s fourth-quarter earnings surged previous traders’ expectations on Tuesday, as customers continued to put money into their houses as a result of pandemic and energy of the true property market.

Shares are down greater than 1% in premarket buying and selling, after the corporate didn’t present an outlook for the yr.

Residence Depot Chief Monetary Officer Richard McPhail stated the retailer will not be certain how lengthy the pandemic will final and the way which will affect client spending. He stated if demand from the second half of final yr continues, it might result in barely constructive same-store gross sales progress and an working margin of not less than 14% this yr.

Here is what the corporate reported for the quarter ended Jan. 31 in contrast with what Wall Road was anticipating, primarily based on a survey of analysts by Refinitiv:

• Earnings per share: $2.65 vs. $2.62 anticipated
• Income: $32.26 billion vs. $30.73 billion anticipated

Residence Depot’s internet revenue rose to $2.86 billion, or $2.65 per share, up from $2.48 billion, or $2.28 per share, a yr earlier. Analysts surveyed by Refinitiv anticipated earnings per share of $2.62.

Internet gross sales rose 25% to $32.26 billion from $25.78 billion a yr in the past, and outpacing estimates of $30.73 billion.

Its U.S. same-store gross sales jumped by 25%. Its general same-store gross sales grew by 24.5%, greater than the 19.2% progress that analysts anticipated, in accordance with a StreetAccount survey. The expansion is according to what Residence Depot reported throughout the second and third quarter, when it benefited from conserving doorways open as a necessary retailer.

Residence Depot additionally introduced Tuesday that its board permitted a ten% enhance in its quarterly dividend to $1.65 per share.

This story is growing and might be up to date.

Learn the entire press launch here.