The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD) Shares Acquired by Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. lifted its position in The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD) by 0.6% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 65,428 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 387 shares during the period. Home Depot accounts for approximately 1.0% of Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.’s holdings, making the stock its 15th biggest position. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.’s holdings in Home Depot were worth $25,451,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Synergy Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Home Depot during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Wingate Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Home Depot during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Bradley & Co. Private Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Home Depot during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. NewSquare Capital LLC grew its position in Home Depot by 200.0% during the 4th quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 102 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Home Depot in the third quarter valued at about $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.86% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on HD shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Home Depot from $450.00 to $475.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on Home Depot from $431.00 to $424.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $455.00 price target on shares of Home Depot in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $450.00 price objective on shares of Home Depot in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Finally, Wedbush restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $440.00 target price on shares of Home Depot in a research note on Wednesday, February 26th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-two have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $435.85.

Home Depot Stock Performance

Home Depot stock opened at $363.97 on Tuesday. The Home Depot, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $323.77 and a fifty-two week high of $439.37. The company has a market capitalization of $361.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.73, a PEG ratio of 4.03 and a beta of 1.09. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $393.46 and a two-hundred day moving average of $399.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.65, a quick ratio of 0.31 and a current ratio of 1.13.

Home Depot (NYSE:HD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 25th. The home improvement retailer reported $3.13 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.04 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $39.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $39.15 billion. Home Depot had a return on equity of 452.60% and a net margin of 9.45%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 14.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.82 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that The Home Depot, Inc. will post 15.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Home Depot Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 13th will be paid a $2.30 dividend. This is a boost from Home Depot’s previous quarterly dividend of $2.25. This represents a $9.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.53%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 13th. Home Depot’s payout ratio is presently 61.66%.

Home Depot Company 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.