Before the opening bell on Tuesday morning, home improvement retailer Home Depot (HD ) reported higher results for the fourth quarter, beating analysts’ views.
HD's Earnings in Brief
- The company reported earnings of $1.38 billion, or $1.05 per share, up from $1.01 billion, or 73 cents per share, last year.
- Adjusted earnings were $1.00 per share – above analysts’ view of 89 cents per share.
- Revenue rose 8.3% to $19.16 billion from $17.70 billion last year. Analysts expected to see $18.70 billion in revenue.
- Comparable store sales rose 7.9% overall and 8.9% in the U.S.
- Looking ahead to FY2015, the company expects to see EPS between $5.11 and $5.17 – below analysts’ view of $5.23. Sales are expected to grow between 3.5% and 4.7%.
CEO Commentary
HD’s CEO and chairman Craig Menear commented: “We had a strong finish to the year, as strength across the store, the recoveringU.S. housing market and solid execution aided our business in 2014.”
HD's Dividend
The company raised its quarterly dividend to 59 cents, which will be paid on March 26 to shareholders of record on March 12.
Stock Performance
Shares of HD were up $3.78, or 3.37%, during pre-market trading Tuesday. YTD, the stock is up 6.96%.
The Bottom Line
Home Depot (HD ) is not recommended at this time, holding a Dividend.com DARS™ Rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars.
Be sure to visit our complete recommended list of the Best Dividend Stocks, as well as a detailed explanation of our ratings system here.
