Topic: How To Invest

Hi Pat: I am contemplating buying some Home Depot shares. Would you recommend a purchase? Best regards.

Article Excerpt

Home Depot, $80.91, symbol HD on New York (Shares outstanding: 1.4 billion; Market cap: $114.1 billion; www.homedepot.com), operates warehouse-style home-improvement stores that average 104,000 square feet, plus an additional 24,000-square-foot garden centre. Each outlet typically carries 30,000 to 40,000 items. The company now has 2,260 locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Guam. In 2012, Home Depot announced a strategic plan that includes initiatives like letting customers buy online and pick up their orders at the nearest store. The company has also launched a new smartphone application that makes it easier for contractors to check inventories at certain stores, and place orders. Another part of the plan includes expanding into new categories, including appliances like washing machines and dryers. About 400 of the company’s stores now have appliance showrooms. At the same time, Home Depot is doing a better job of controlling its inventories, which has freed up cash for share repurchases. It has already bought back $6.4 billion worth…