Sterling Investment Counsel LLC Increases Holdings in The Home Depot, Inc. $HD

19 Apr 2026, 09:42 by Amy Steele · The Cerbat Gem

Sterling Investment Counsel LLC lifted its position in shares of The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD – Free Report) by 45.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,026 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after buying an additional 1,574 shares during the period. Sterling Investment Counsel LLC’s holdings in Home Depot were worth $1,797,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Emprise Bank raised its holdings in shares of Home Depot by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Emprise Bank now owns 3,135 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $1,270,000 after buying an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. Stegent Equity Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Home Depot by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. Stegent Equity Advisors Inc. now owns 1,006 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $408,000 after buying an additional 26 shares in the last quarter. Unique Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Home Depot by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Unique Wealth LLC now owns 2,280 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $924,000 after buying an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Arcus Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Home Depot by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Arcus Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,445 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $991,000 after buying an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Westfuller Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Home Depot by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Westfuller Advisors LLC now owns 1,325 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock valued at $456,000 after buying an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. 70.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on HD shares. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Home Depot from $412.00 to $420.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Daiwa Securities Group raised their price objective on Home Depot from $360.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on Home Depot from $363.00 to $377.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Truist Financial set a $424.00 price target on Home Depot in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on Home Depot from $407.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Twenty research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $414.17.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Home Depot

Insider Buying and Selling at Home Depot

In other news, CFO Richard V. Mcphail sold 2,550 shares of Home Depot stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $368.89, for a total value of $940,669.50. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 44,566 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,439,951.74. This trade represents a 5.41% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the company’s stock.

Key Home Depot News

Here are the key news stories impacting Home Depot this week:

Positive Sentiment: HD announced the acquisition of SIMPL Automation to accelerate same‑day and next‑day fulfillment, bringing AI-driven warehouse engineering that could reduce labor touches and speed order throughput — a clear operational play that investors view as growth and margin enhancing. Home Depot Buys SIMPL Automation to Support Same-Day Delivery
Positive Sentiment: Company pilots with SIMPL reportedly produced faster pick speeds and fewer product touches, giving proof‑of‑concept that the tech can improve throughput and safety in distribution centers — a near‑term operational benefit that can support unit economics for online fulfillment. Home Depot acquires warehouse tech firm to boost fulfillment strategy
Positive Sentiment: Broader market tailwinds — news of a Middle East ceasefire and a drop in oil prices — lifted sentiment across equities, helping HD shares alongside company‑specific catalysts. Why Home Depot Stock Is Climbing Friday?
Neutral Sentiment: HD is pursuing a potential distribution center in Yaphank, NY (seeking a tax break) as part of the same logistics expansion — this signals capacity buildout but involves local approvals and incentives, so impact is medium term. Home Depot eyes same-day, next-day delivery site in New York
Neutral Sentiment: Longer‑term demand backdrop for home improvement remains supportive: industry forecasts project steady remodeling market growth through 2033, which underpins Home Depot’s addressable market even if near‑term comps and labor/cost dynamics vary. United States Residential Remodeling Industry Report 2025-2033
Negative Sentiment: Recent short‑term volatility: earlier in the week HD shares had pulled back on profit‑taking/market rotation, indicating investors remain price‑sensitive around multiples and guidance despite operational improvements. Home Depot (HD) Stock Sinks As Market Gains: Here’s Why

Home Depot Price Performance

Shares of Home Depot stock opened at $349.34 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.62, a current ratio of 1.06 and a quick ratio of 0.26. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $352.34 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $362.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $347.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.68 and a beta of 1.09. The Home Depot, Inc. has a one year low of $315.31 and a one year high of $426.75.

Home Depot (NYSE:HD – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The home improvement retailer reported $2.72 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.52 by $0.20. The business had revenue of $38.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $38.01 billion. Home Depot had a return on equity of 134.32% and a net margin of 8.60%.The business’s quarterly revenue was down 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.13 EPS. Home Depot has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.230-14.799 EPS. Analysts forecast that The Home Depot, Inc. will post 15.13 EPS for the current year.

Home Depot Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 12th were given a $2.33 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 12th. This represents a $9.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.7%. This is an increase from Home Depot’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.30. Home Depot’s dividend payout ratio is 65.50%.

About Home Depot

(Free Report)

The Home Depot, Inc (NYSE: HD) is a leading home improvement retailer that operates large-format stores and an integrated online platform offering a broad range of products and services for do-it-yourself consumers, professional contractors and businesses. The company was founded in 1978 by Bernard Marcus and Arthur Blank and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Since opening its first stores at the end of the 1970s, Home Depot has grown into a multinational retailer known for its orange-branded stores and wide assortment of home improvement merchandise.

Home Depot’s core business includes the sale of building materials, lumber, tools, hardware, appliances, paint, plumbing and electrical supplies, lawn and garden products, and home décor.