Demars Financial Group LLC Raises Holdings in The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD)

Demars Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD) by 25.3% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 677,855 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 136,931 shares during the period. Home Depot accounts for approximately 0.8% of Demars Financial Group LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position. Demars Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Home Depot were worth $248,427,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Navigoe LLC acquired a new position in Home Depot during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Bradley & Co. Private Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Home Depot during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Quarry LP boosted its stake in Home Depot by 220.0% during the fourth quarter. Quarry LP now owns 96 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Sellwood Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in Home Depot during the fourth quarter worth $39,000. Finally, NewSquare Capital LLC boosted its stake in Home Depot by 200.0% during the fourth quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 102 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. 70.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Home Depot news, EVP Fahim Siddiqui sold 2,600 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $367.14, for a total transaction of $954,564.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 7,951 shares in the company, valued at $2,919,130.14. This represents a 24.64% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Teresa Wynn Roseborough sold 5,406 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $369.28, for a total value of $1,996,327.68. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 17,367 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,413,285.76. This trade represents a 23.74% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on HD shares. Stifel Nicolaus raised Home Depot from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $405.00 to $425.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. Hsbc Global Res raised Home Depot from a “moderate sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Mizuho lowered their price objective on Home Depot from $450.00 to $435.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $415.00 price target (up previously from $410.00) on shares of Home Depot in a research note on Tuesday, May 20th. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on Home Depot from $430.00 to $425.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-one have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $426.77.

Home Depot Price Performance

HD opened at $353.59 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $363.12 and its 200 day moving average price is $381.65. The Home Depot, Inc. has a 12-month low of $326.31 and a 12-month high of $439.37. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.65. The firm has a market cap of $351.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.02, a PEG ratio of 4.03 and a beta of 1.02.

Home Depot (NYSE:HD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 20th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.56 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.59 by ($0.03). Home Depot had a return on equity of 452.60% and a net margin of 9.45%. The company had revenue of $39.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $39.24 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.63 EPS. Home Depot’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that The Home Depot, Inc. will post 15.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Home Depot Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 18th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 5th will be issued a dividend of $2.30 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 5th. This represents a $9.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.60%. Home Depot’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 62.42%.

Home Depot Profile

The Home Depot, Inc operates as a home improvement retailer in the United States and internationally. It sells various building materials, home improvement products, lawn and garden products, and décor products, as well as facilities maintenance, repair, and operations products. The company also offers installation services for flooring, water heaters, bath, garage doors, cabinets, cabinet makeovers, countertops, sheds, furnaces and central air systems, and windows.