Symmetry Partners LLC Raises Holdings in The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD)

Symmetry Partners LLC increased its holdings in The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD) by 20.4% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 614 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the quarter. Symmetry Partners LLC’s holdings in Home Depot were worth $239,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Synergy Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Home Depot in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Home Depot in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Bradley & Co. Private Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Home Depot in the fourth quarter worth approximately $32,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in Home Depot in the third quarter worth approximately $41,000. Finally, Marshall Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Home Depot in the fourth quarter worth approximately $41,000. 70.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on HD shares. KGI Securities upgraded Home Depot to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on Home Depot from $440.00 to $430.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $450.00 price target on shares of Home Depot in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on Home Depot from $431.00 to $424.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, Hsbc Global Res raised Home Depot from a “moderate sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-two have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Home Depot presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $436.50.

Home Depot Price Performance

Shares of HD opened at $353.35 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $395.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $399.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $351.01 billion, a PE ratio of 24.00, a P/E/G ratio of 4.03 and a beta of 1.09. 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 Home Depot, Inc. has a twelve month low of $323.77 and a twelve month high of $439.37.

Home Depot (NYSE:HD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 25th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.13 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.04 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $39.70 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $39.15 billion. Home Depot had a return on equity of 452.60% and a net margin of 9.45%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 14.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.82 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that The Home Depot, Inc. will post 15.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Home Depot Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 13th will be paid a dividend of $2.30 per share. This is a positive change from Home Depot’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.25. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 13th. This represents a $9.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.60%. Home Depot’s payout ratio is 61.66%.

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.