Home Depot Q3 Profit Tops View; Backs FY14 EPS Outlook - Quick Facts

(RTTNews) - Home improvement retailer Home Depot Inc. (HD) posted third-quarter net earnings of $1.5 billion, or $1.15 per share, compared to $1.4 billion, or $0.95 per share, in the comparable quarter last year. On average, 27 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected earnings of $1.13 per share for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude one-time items.

Sales for the latest third quarter rose 5.4% to $20.52 billion from the prior year's $19.47 billion, while 23 analysts estimated revenues of $20.47 billion for the period. Comparable-store sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2014 were positive 5.2 percent, and comp sales for U.S. stores were positive 5.8 percent.

For fiscal 2014, Home Depot continues to expects earnings-per-share to grow 21% to about $4.54 and sales growth of 4.8 percent. Analysts now expect earnings of $4.50 per share on revenue growth of 4.9 percent.

This earnings-per-share guidance includes the benefit of the company's year-to-date share repurchases of $5.74 billion and the company's intent to repurchase an additional $1.26 billion of shares in the fourth quarter. The earnings-per-share guidance also includes an estimate of net breach-related costs of approximately $34 million for the year.