By Tomi Kilgore
EPS, sales and same-store sales consensus estimates have increased since the start of Q3, while Behr paint seller and 3M pointed to ‘softening’ demand in home improvement
Home Depot Inc. investors will soon learn the real story about what’s happening in the home improvement sector, as some others in the business have said demand is weakening while Wall Street estimates suggest continued strength.
The retail giant is scheduled to report fiscal third-quarter results, which runs through October, before the Nov. 15 opening bell.
The FactSet consensus for earnings per share and sales have increased since the start of the quarter, and the current full-year estimates imply growth above the company’s guidance, even as the housing market slumps and consumer sentiment points to a recession.
The stock (HD) has been little changed over the past three months through Friday, while the SPDR Consumer Discretionary Select Sector exchange-traded fund (XLY) has shed 14.6% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average has lost less than 0.1%.
Wells Fargo analyst Zachary Fadem acknowledged that the fundamental setup ahead of earnings is “tricky.” Given “toxic” housing market sentiment, he said the stock is priced for downward estimates revisions, but he doesn’t believe that will happen.
Fadem said he believes Home Depot’s third-quarter results will show “stable business trends, as do-it-yourself (DIY) trends have improved sequentially the company’s business model is more defensible in the current environment than feared.
D.A. Davidson’s Michael Baker said he believes Home Depot has one of the best chances among big-box retailers to beat same-store sales expectations, given some indication that industry growth rates have accelerated and that benefits from Hurricane Ian are expected to continue.
And rather than full-year consensus analyst estimates being too high, Baker said Home Depot’s guidance is likely too low, and will be raised when it reports results.
In the company’s second-quarter report, which covers the three months through July, the company said it expects fiscal 2022 total sales growth of “approximately” 3.0% and EPS growth in the “mid-single digits” percentage range.
The current FactSet sales consensus of $156.69 billion, which has increased from $156.23 billion at the end of July, implies 3.6% growth. And the current EPS consensus of $16.60, up from $16.45 on July 29, implies a 6.8% rise.
The FactSet consensus for same-store sales to be up 3.1% is slightly above Home Depot’s guidance of approximately 3.0%.
This upbeat outlook comes even after Masco Corp. (MAS) reported in late-October third-quarter profit that surprisingly declined and revenue that missed expectations, and cut his full-year earnings outlook. The company, which makes Behr paint sold exclusively in Home Depot stores and Delta faucets, said volumes declined in most categories as “demand moderated more than expected,” amid a slowdown that was “pretty broad-based.”
Don’t miss: Here’s another sign that home-improvement demand is falling.
In addition, 3M Co. (MMM), which makes a number of DIY home-improvement products, such as Scotch adhesives, Command hooks and Scotchgard flooring products, said last month that it saw “some softening in home improvement” during its third quarter.
At that time, Home Depot wouldn’t comment on demand trends, given the proximity to its reporting of results, but said it would “share more” when it reveals those results.
That’s when investors will know the real story.
Here’s what Wall Street is expecting from Home Depot’s third-quarter results, according to FactSet:
The stock has gained on the day earnings were reported that past two quarters, but has gained only three times after the past 12 quarterly reports. The up days saw an average gain of 3.8%, while the downs days saw an average decline of 3.4%.
Some other things to watch for, second-quarter gross margin contracted to 33.1% from 33.2% a year ago, after slipping to 33.8% from 33.9% in the first quarter.
And merchandise inventories of $26.09 billion at the end of the second quarter was up 38.0% from the year before, after showing 31.9% growth to $25.30 billion in the first quarter.
Investors should also watch for any change in management language about demand. In the second-quarter report, Chief Executive Ted Decker had said the “highest quarterly sales and earnings in our company’s history” were achieved because of “continued strength in demand for home improvement projects.”
-Tomi Kilgore
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
11-14-22 0731ET
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