The Home Depot Reports 3.5% Rise In Annual Comparable Sales

he Home Depot®, the world's largest home improvement retailer, today reported fourth quarter and fiscal 2019 results.

Fourth Quarter 2019

Comparable sales for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019 increased 5.2 percent, and comparable sales in the U.S. increased 5.3 percent.

Sales for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019 were $25.8 billion compared to sales of $26.5 billion in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018. Fiscal 2018 included an extra week of operations compared to fiscal 2019. The extra week of operations added approximately $1.7 billion of sales to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018.

Net earnings for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019 were $2.5 billion, or $2.28 per diluted share, compared to net earnings of $2.3 billion, or $2.09 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018. The extra week of operations added approximately $0.21 per diluted share to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018.

Fiscal 2019

Comparable sales for fiscal 2019 increased 3.5 percent, and comparable sales in the U.S. increased 3.8 percent.

Sales for fiscal 2019 were $110.2 billion compared to sales of $108.2 billion in fiscal 2018.

Net earnings for fiscal 2019 were $11.2 billion, or $10.25 per diluted share, compared to net earnings of $11.1 billion, or $9.73 per diluted share in fiscal 2018.

"Fiscal 2019 was a record year for our business and one marked by significant progress as we invest to transform ourselves into The Home Depot of the future. We had a strong finish to the year as our fourth quarter results reflect strength in our core business, solid execution around our holiday events and the overall health of the consumer," said Craig Menear, chairman, CEO and president.

"We are now two years into our multi-year investment program and have more conviction than ever that our strategic initiatives are creating a value proposition that is unique to the marketplace and will extend our leadership position for years to come. Through the second year of our One Home Depot investment program, we have grown sales by over $9 billion dollars – a level of growth unmatched in our market. I am proud of the way our associates continue to focus on our customers, and I want to thank them for their hard work and dedication in the fourth quarter and throughout the year."

Dividend Declaration

The Company today announced that its board of directors approved a 10 percent increase in its quarterly dividend to $1.50 per share, which equates to an annual dividend of $6.00 per share.

"As a testament to our commitment to create value for our shareholders and a demonstration of confidence in the business going forward, the board has increased the dividend for the eleventh consecutive year," said Richard McPhail, CFO and executive vice president. The dividend is payable on March 26, 2020, to shareholders of record on the close of business on March 12, 2020. This is the 132nd consecutive quarter the Company has paid a cash dividend.

Fiscal 2020 Guidance

The Company provided the following guidance for fiscal 2020:

• Total sales growth of approximately 3.5 percent to 4.0 percent
• Comparable sales growth of approximately 3.5 percent to 4.0 percent  
• Six new stores
• Operating margin of approximately 14.0 percent
• Net interest expense of approximately $1.2 billion
• Effective tax rate assumption of approximately 24.0 percent
• Share repurchases of at least $5.0 billion
• Diluted earnings-per-share growth of approximately 2.0 percent to $10.45
• Capital spending of approximately $2.8 billion
• Depreciation and amortization expense of approximately $2.4 billion
• Cash flow from operations of approximately $13.5 billion

The Home Depot will conduct a conference call today at 9 a.m. ET to discuss information included in this news release and related matters. The conference call will be available in its entirety through a webcast and replay at ir.homedepot.com/events-and-presentations.

At the end of the fourth quarter, the Company operated a total of 2,291 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. The Company employs more than 400,000 associates. The Home Depot's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index.

Source : The Home Depot

Image : jejim / shutterstock.com (287216639)

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