February 28, 2016 NYSE: HD HOME DEPOT INC BUY A+ A A- HOLD B+ B Annual Dividend Rate $2.36 B- C+ C Annual Dividend Yield 1.86% SELL C- D+ D Beta 0.90 Sector: Consumer Goods & Svcs Weekly Price: (US$) HD BUSINESS DESCRIPTION The Home Depot, Inc. operates as a home improvement retailer. D- E+ E E- F Market Capitalization $160.8 Billion BUY 52-Week Range $92.17-$135.47 Sub-Industry: Home Improvement Retail SMA (50) RATING SINCE TARGET PRICE 05/19/2010 $166.50 Price as of 2/25/2016 $126.86 Source: S&P SMA (100) 1 Year 2 Years 170 TARGET PRICE $166.50 TARGET TARGETPRICE PRICE$166.50 $166.50 TARGET PRICE $166.50 160 150 STOCK PERFORMANCE (%) 3 Mo. Price Change -5.79 1 Yr. 9.07 140 3 Yr (Ann) 25.67 130 120 GROWTH (%) 110 Last Qtr 9.48 6.67 11.42 Revenues Net Income EPS 12 Mo. 6.42 10.46 15.67 3 Yr CAGR 5.79 15.62 22.09 100 90 80 70 RETURN ON EQUITY (%) Rating History HD 110.97 68.06 43.00 Q4 2015 Q4 2014 Q4 2013 Ind Avg 45.80 240.49 24.31 S&P 500 12.28 14.59 13.97 BUY Volume in Millions 60 40 20 P/E COMPARISON 2014 2015 0 2016 COMPUSTAT for Price and Volume, TheStreet Ratings, Inc. for Rating History 23.23 27.13 21.53 HD Ind Avg S&P 500 RECOMMENDATION We rate HOME DEPOT INC (HD) a BUY. This is based on the convergence of positive investment measures, which should help this stock outperform the majority of stocks that we rate. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, notable return on equity, solid stock price performance, growth in earnings per share and increase in net income. We feel its strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had generally high debt management risk by most measures that we evaluated. HIGHLIGHTS HD's revenue growth has slightly outpaced the industry average of 7.0%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly increased by 9.5%. Growth in the company's revenue appears to have helped boost the earnings per share. 2013 2014 Q4 1.17 Q3 1.35 Q2 1.73 Q1 1.21 Q4 1.05 Q3 1.15 Q2 1.52 Q1 1.00 Q4 0.73 Q3 0.95 Q2 1.24 Q1 0.83 EPS ANALYSIS¹ ($) 2015 NA = not available NM = not meaningful 1 Compustat fiscal year convention is used for all fundamental data items. The stock has not only risen over the past year, it has done so at a faster pace than the S&P 500, reflecting the earnings growth and other positive factors similar to those we have cited here. Turning our attention to the future direction of the stock, it goes without saying that even the best stocks can fall in an overall down market. However, in any other environment, this stock still has good upside potential despite the fact that it has already risen in the past year. HOME DEPOT INC has improved earnings per share by 11.4% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. The company has demonstrated a pattern of positive earnings per share growth over the past two years. We feel that this trend should continue. During the past fiscal year, HOME DEPOT INC increased its bottom line by earning $5.46 versus $4.72 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($6.20 versus $5.46). The net income growth from the same quarter one year ago has exceeded that of the S&P 500 and the Specialty Retail industry average. The net income increased by 6.7% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, going from $1,379.00 million to $1,471.00 million. The company's current return on equity greatly increased when compared to its ROE from the same quarter one year prior. This is a signal of significant strength within the corporation. Compared to other companies in the Specialty Retail industry and the overall market, HOME DEPOT INC's return on equity significantly exceeds that of both the industry average and the S&P 500. This report is for information purposes only and should not be considered a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Neither TheStreet Ratings nor any other party guarantees its accuracy or makes warranties regarding results from its usage. Redistribution is prohibited without the express written consent of TheStreet Ratings. Copyright(c) 2006-2015. All rights reserved. Report Date: February 28, 2016 PAGE 1 February 28, 2016 NYSE: HD HOME DEPOT INC Sector: Consumer Goods & Svcs Home Improvement Retail Source: S&P Annual Dividend Rate $2.36 Annual Dividend Yield 1.86% PEER GROUP ANALYSIS 20% REVENUE GROWTH AND EBITDA MARGIN* AAN AEO INDUSTRY ANALYSIS The specialty retail industry includes very well-known home improvement, apparel, automotive, and other narrow-focus stores such as Home Depot (HD), TJX Companies (TJX), Lowe’s Companies (LOW), Gap (GPS), Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY), Ross Stores (ROST), Limited Brands (LTD), O’Reilly Automotive (ORLY), PetSmart (PETM), Carmax (KMX), and Build-A-Bear Workshop (BBW). Companies in this industry are judged based on the metric of same-store sales, a measurement that shows if stores open for more than one year are increasing top line revenue or shrinking. UN R VO FA LE AB -15% Price as of 2/25/2016 $126.86 Some of the larger specialty retail companies also profit from the extension of credit to their customers with branded credit cards. LL SHOS BKS ARCI 52-Week Range $92.17-$135.47 The variety of product focuses targeted by specialty retail companies is very diverse. These include but are not limited to home improvement goods, pharmaceutical & beauty, shoes, electronics, and office supplies. Also included are stores narrowly focused on music, books, wine, games, rentals, vitamins, lumber, sporting goods, toys, jewelry, and fashion apparel for men, women, and teddy bears. LE HD LOW Revenue Growth (TTM) AB OR AN Market Capitalization $160.8 Billion V FA TTS Beta 0.90 ANF -5% 45% EBITDA Margin (TTM) Companies with higher EBITDA margins and revenue growth rates are outperforming companies with lower EBITDA margins and revenue growth rates. Companies for this scatter plot have a market capitalization between $5.1 Million and $160.8 Billion. Companies with NA or NM values do not appear. *EBITDA – Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization. 20% REVENUE GROWTH AND EARNINGS YIELD AAN V FA AB OR TTS PEER GROUP: Specialty Retail Ticker HD BKS TTS LOW AN ARCI LL AEO ANF AAN SHOS Recent Company Name Price ($) HOME DEPOT INC 126.86 BARNES & NOBLE INC 9.12 TILE SHOP HOLDINGS INC 13.13 LOWE'S COMPANIES INC 68.70 AUTONATION INC 51.94 APPLIANCE RECYCLING CTR AMER 0.86 LUMBER LIQUIDATORS HLDGS INC 11.24 AMERN EAGLE OUTFITTERS INC 14.92 ABERCROMBIE & FITCH 28.20 AARON'S INC 22.81 SEARS HOMETOWN & OUTLET STR 6.66 Market Cap ($M) 160,843 697 675 62,517 5,569 5 304 2,904 1,895 1,656 151 Price/ Earnings 23.23 NM 43.77 25.35 13.35 NM NM 14.49 90.97 12.20 NM Net Sales TTM ($M) 88,519.00 5,018.44 292.99 59,074.00 20,862.00 117.59 1,015.95 3,487.87 3,525.29 3,179.76 2,311.86 Net Income TTM ($M) 7,009.00 -21.35 15.70 2,546.00 442.60 -2.48 -19.26 198.04 22.22 135.71 -4.79 The peer group comparison is based on Major Home Improvement Retail companies of comparable size. LE LL SHOS BKS R VO FA ARCI LE AB -15% UN Revenue Growth (TTM) AN AEOHD LOW -50% ANF 10% Earnings Yield (TTM) Companies that exhibit both a high earnings yield and high revenue growth are generally more attractive than companies with low revenue growth and low earnings yield. Companies for this scatter plot have revenue growth rates between -10.9% and 18%. Companies with NA or NM values do not appear. This report is for information purposes only and should not be considered a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Neither TheStreet Ratings nor any other party guarantees its accuracy or makes warranties regarding results from its usage. Redistribution is prohibited without the express written consent of TheStreet Ratings. Copyright(c) 2006-2015. All rights reserved. Report Date: February 28, 2016 PAGE 2 February 28, 2016 NYSE: HD HOME DEPOT INC Sector: Consumer Goods & Svcs Home Improvement Retail Source: S&P Annual Dividend Rate $2.36 Annual Dividend Yield 1.86% COMPANY DESCRIPTION The Home Depot, Inc. operates as a home improvement retailer. It operates The Home Depot stores that sell various building materials, home improvement products, and lawn and garden products, as well as provide installation, home maintenance, and professional service programs to do-it-yourself, do-it-for-me, and professional customers. The company offers installation programs that include flooring, cabinets, countertops, water heaters, and sheds; and professional installation in various categories sold through its in-home sales programs, such as roofing, siding, windows, kitchen and bath refacing, furnaces, and central air systems, as well as act as a contractor to provide installation services to its do-it-for-me customers through third-party installers. It primarily serves professional remodelers, general contractors, repairmen, small business owners, and tradesmen. The company also sells its products through online. As of the September 18, 2015, the company had 2,270 stores located in 50 states in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Canada, and Mexico. The Home Depot, Inc. was founded in 1978 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia. HOME DEPOT INC 2455 Paces Ferry Road, NW Atlanta, GA 30339 USA Phone: 770-433-8211 http://www.homedepot.com Employees: 385000 Beta 0.90 Market Capitalization $160.8 Billion 52-Week Range $92.17-$135.47 Price as of 2/25/2016 $126.86 STOCK-AT-A-GLANCE Below is a summary of the major fundamental and technical factors we consider when determining our overall recommendation of HD shares. It is provided in order to give you a deeper understanding of our rating methodology as well as to paint a more complete picture of a stock's strengths and weaknesses. It is important to note, however, that these factors only tell part of the story. To gain an even more comprehensive understanding of our stance on the stock, these factors must be assessed in combination with the stock’s valuation. Please refer to our Valuation section on page 5 for further information. FACTOR SCORE 5.0 Growth out of 5 stars weak Measures the growth of both the company's income statement and cash flow. On this factor, HD has a growth score better than 90% of the stocks we rate. strong 4.5 Total Return out of 5 stars weak Measures the historical price movement of the stock. The stock performance of this company has beaten 80% of the companies we cover. strong 5.0 Efficiency out of 5 stars weak Measures the strength and historic growth of a company's return on invested capital. The company has generated more income per dollar of capital than 90% of the companies we review. strong 5.0 Price volatility out of 5 stars weak Measures the volatility of the company's stock price historically. The stock is less volatile than 90% of the stocks we monitor. strong 3.0 Solvency out of 5 stars weak Measures the solvency of the company based on several ratios. The company is more solvent than 50% of the companies we analyze. strong 3.5 Income out of 5 stars weak Measures dividend yield and payouts to shareholders. The company's dividend is higher than 60% of the companies we track. strong THESTREET RATINGS RESEARCH METHODOLOGY TheStreet Ratings' stock model projects a stock's total return potential over a 12-month period including both price appreciation and dividends. Our Buy, Hold or Sell ratings designate how we expect these stocks to perform against a general benchmark of the equities market and interest rates. While our model is quantitative, it utilizes both subjective and objective elements. For instance, subjective elements include expected equities market returns, future interest rates, implied industry outlook and forecasted company earnings. Objective elements include volatility of past operating revenues, financial strength, and company cash flows. Our model gauges the relationship between risk and reward in several ways, including: the pricing drawdown as compared to potential profit volatility, i.e.how much one is willing to risk in order to earn profits; the level of acceptable volatility for highly performing stocks; the current valuation as compared to projected earnings growth; and the financial strength of the underlying company as compared to its stock's valuation as compared to projected earnings growth; and the financial strength of the underlying company as compared to its stock's performance. These and many more derived observations are then combined, ranked, weighted, and scenario-tested to create a more complete analysis. The result is a systematic and disciplined method of selecting stocks. This report is for information purposes only and should not be considered a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Neither TheStreet Ratings nor any other party guarantees its accuracy or makes warranties regarding results from its usage. Redistribution is prohibited without the express written consent of TheStreet Ratings. Copyright(c) 2006-2015. All rights reserved. Report Date: February 28, 2016 PAGE 3 February 28, 2016 NYSE: HD HOME DEPOT INC Sector: Consumer Goods & Svcs Home Improvement Retail Source: S&P Annual Dividend Rate $2.36 Annual Dividend Yield 1.86% Consensus EPS Estimates² ($) IBES consensus estimates are provided by Thomson Financial 1.33 6.20 E 7.02 E Q1 FY16 2017(E) 2018(E) Market Capitalization $160.8 Billion 52-Week Range $92.17-$135.47 Price as of 2/25/2016 $126.86 FINANCIAL ANALYSIS HOME DEPOT INC's gross profit margin for the fourth quarter of its fiscal year 2015 is essentially unchanged when compared to the same period a year ago. The company managed to grow both sales and net income at a faster pace than the average competitor in its industry this quarter as compared to the same quarter a year ago. HOME DEPOT INC has very weak liquidity. Currently, the Quick Ratio is 0.26 which clearly shows a lack of ability to cover short-term cash needs. The company's liquidity has decreased from the same period last year. At the same time, stockholders' equity ("net worth") has significantly decreased by 32.24% from the same quarter last year. The key liquidity measurements indicate that the company is in a position in which financial difficulties could develop in the near future. STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12-months. To learn more visit www.TheStreetRatings.com. INCOME STATEMENT Net Sales ($mil) EBITDA ($mil) EBIT ($mil) Net Income ($mil) Beta 0.90 Q4 FY15 20,980.00 2,987.00 2,558.00 1,471.00 Q4 FY14 19,162.00 2,600.00 2,196.00 1,379.00 Q4 FY15 2,216.00 42,549.00 21,315.00 6,316.00 Q4 FY14 1,723.00 39,946.00 17,197.00 9,322.00 Q4 FY15 34.11% 14.23% 12.19% 2.08 16.47% 110.97% Q4 FY14 34.35% 13.56% 11.46% 2.08 15.88% 68.06% Q4 FY15 1.10 0.77 NA NA Q4 FY14 1.36 0.65 213.00 10.31 Q4 FY15 1,268 0.59 1.17 4.98 NA 6,286,188 Q4 FY14 1,307 0.47 1.05 7.13 NA 5,206,812 BALANCE SHEET Cash & Equiv. ($mil) Total Assets ($mil) Total Debt ($mil) Equity ($mil) PROFITABILITY Gross Profit Margin EBITDA Margin Operating Margin Sales Turnover Return on Assets Return on Equity DEBT Current Ratio Debt/Capital Interest Expense Interest Coverage SHARE DATA Shares outstanding (mil) Div / share EPS Book value / share Institutional Own % Avg Daily Volume 2 Sum of quarterly figures may not match annual estimates due to use of median consensus estimates. This report is for information purposes only and should not be considered a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Neither TheStreet Ratings nor any other party guarantees its accuracy or makes warranties regarding results from its usage. Redistribution is prohibited without the express written consent of TheStreet Ratings. Copyright(c) 2006-2015. All rights reserved. Report Date: February 28, 2016 PAGE 4 February 28, 2016 NYSE: HD HOME DEPOT INC Sector: Consumer Goods & Svcs Home Improvement Retail Source: S&P Annual Dividend Rate $2.36 Annual Dividend Yield 1.86% Beta 0.90 Market Capitalization $160.8 Billion 52-Week Range $92.17-$135.47 Price as of 2/25/2016 $126.86 RATINGS HISTORY Our rating for HOME DEPOT INC has not changed since 5/19/2010. As of 2/25/2016, the stock was trading at a price of $126.86 which is 6.4% below its 52-week high of $135.47 and 37.6% above its 52-week low of $92.17. VALUATION BUY. HOME DEPOT INC's P/E ratio indicates a discount compared to an average of 27.13 for the Specialty Retail industry and a value on par with the S&P 500 average of 21.53. For additional comparison, its price-to-book ratio of 25.47 indicates a significant premium versus the S&P 500 average of 2.56 and a significant premium versus the industry average of 12.59. The current price-to-sales ratio is above both the S&P 500 average and the industry average, indicating a premium. 2 Year Chart Price/Earnings BUY: $80.98 $150 $125 $100 2014 2015 1 2 3 premium HD 23.23 Peers 27.13 • Discount. A lower P/E ratio than its peers can signify a less expensive stock or lower growth expectations. • HD is trading at a discount to its peers. Price/Projected Earnings From Buy To Buy Price reflects the closing price as of the date listed, if available 5 1 2 3 4 5 RATINGS DEFINITIONS & DISTRIBUTION OF THESTREET RATINGS Price/Book (as of 2/25/2016) HD 25.47 Peers 12.59 • Premium. A higher price-to-book ratio makes a stock less attractive to investors seeking stocks with lower market values per dollar of equity on the balance sheet. • HD is trading at a significant premium to its peers. 32.19% Buy - We believe that this stock has the opportunity to appreciate and produce a total return of more than 10% over the next 12 months. 35.29% Hold - We do not believe this stock offers conclusive evidence to warrant the purchase or sale of shares at this time and that its likelihood of positive total return is roughly in balance with the risk of loss. 32.52% Sell - We believe that this stock is likely to decline by more than 10% over the next 12 months, with the risk involved too great to compensate for any possible returns. TheStreet Ratings 14 Wall Street, 15th Floor New York, NY 10005 www.thestreet.com Research Contact: 212-321-5381 Sales Contact: 866-321-8726 2 3 premium Price/Sales 1 2 premium 4 5 4 5 Price to Earnings/Growth 4 5 discount 1 2 3 premium 4 5 discount HD 1.71 Peers 1.94 • Discount. The PEG ratio is the stock’s P/E divided by the consensus estimate of long-term earnings growth. Faster growth can justify higher price multiples. • HD trades at a discount to its peers. Earnings Growth 1 2 3 4 lower 5 higher HD 15.67 Peers 16.94 • Average. Elevated earnings growth rates can lead to capital appreciation and justify higher price-to-earnings ratios. • HD is expected to keep pace with its peers on the basis of earnings growth. Sales Growth discount HD 1.82 Peers 1.55 • Premium. In the absence of P/E and P/B multiples, the price-to-sales ratio can display the value investors are placing on each dollar of sales. • HD is trading at a premium to its industry on this measurement. 3 HD 17.16 Peers 15.49 • Premium. The P/CF ratio, a stock’s price divided by the company's cash flow from operations, is useful for comparing companies with different capital requirements or financing structures. • HD is trading at a premium to its peers. discount 3 2 premium discount HD 18.07 Peers 19.03 • Average. An average price-to-projected earnings ratio can signify an industry neutral stock price and average future growth expectations. • HD is trading at a valuation on par with its peers. 1 1 Price/CashFlow discount premium MOST RECENT RATINGS CHANGES Date Price Action 2/25/14 $80.98 No Change 4 1 2 3 lower 4 5 higher HD 6.42 Peers 5.35 • Higher. A sales growth rate that exceeds the industry implies that a company is gaining market share. • HD has a sales growth rate that exceeds its peers. DISCLAIMER: The opinions and information contained herein have been obtained or derived from sources believed to be reliable, but TheStreet Ratings cannot guarantee its accuracy and completeness, and that of the opinions based thereon. Data is provided via the COMPUSTAT® Xpressfeed product from Standard &Poor's, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., as well as other third-party data providers. TheStreet Ratings is a division of TheStreet, Inc., which is a publisher. This research report contains opinions and is provided for informational purposes only. You should not rely solely upon the research herein for purposes of transacting securities or other investments, and you are encouraged to conduct your own research and due diligence, and to seek the advice of a qualified securities professional, before you make any investment. None of the information contained in this report constitutes, or is intended to constitute a recommendation by TheStreet Ratings of any particular security or trading strategy or a determination by TheStreet Ratings that any security or trading strategy is suitable for any specific person. To the extent any of the information contained herein may be deemed to be investment advice, such information is impersonal and not tailored to the investment needs of any specific person. Your use of this report is governed by TheStreet, Inc.'s Terms of Use found at http://www.thestreet.com/static/about/terms-of-use.html. This report is for information purposes only and should not be considered a solicitation to buy or sell any security. Neither TheStreet Ratings nor any other party guarantees its accuracy or makes warranties regarding results from its usage. Redistribution is prohibited without the express written consent of TheStreet Ratings. Copyright(c) 2006-2015. All rights reserved. Report Date: February 28, 2016 PAGE 5