RptdFinFcst · v5 forward slate · sealed snap-354950-20260817T193553116220Z

HD Q2 fiscal 2026 — claude-fable-5 CONTRACT PASSED

Fiscal 2026 Q2 (quarter ended August 2, 2026), reporting August 18 before the open; results unreleased at the cutoff 2026-08-17T12:00:00Z. Three statements, a two-year quarterly path, and a thesis with falsifiable triggers — every identity re-added at intake, the balance sheet rolled from the model's own cash flow.

11tool calls
0contract retries
1anchor retries
0unverified anchors
400swall clock
278filings in corpus

Anchors stated before projecting

Each cites its filing; every anchor value was verified against the cited source at intake.

Q1 FY26 net sales

41,765

0000354950-26-000101 · 0000354950-26-000101:hd_exhibit991x05032026.htm:b0000040

Q1 FY26 GAAP diluted EPS

3.3

0000354950-26-000101 · 0000354950-26-000101:hd_exhibit991x05032026.htm:b0000040

Q1 FY26 adjusted diluted EPS

3.43

0000354950-26-000101 · 0000354950-26-000101:hd_exhibit991x05032026.htm:b0000065

Q1 FY26 operating income

4,981

0000354950-26-000101 · 0000354950-26-000101:hd_exhibit991x05032026.htm:b0000058

Q1 FY26 cash flow from operations

6,032

0000354950-26-000101 · 0000354950-26-000101:hd_exhibit991x05032026.htm:b0000052

Q1 FY26 quarter-end cash

1,601

0000354950-26-000101 · 0000354950-26-000101:hd_exhibit991x05032026.htm:b0000047

FY26 guidance: total sales growth low end (approximately 2.5% to 4.5%)

2.5

0000354950-26-000101 · 0000354950-26-000101:hd_exhibit991x05032026.htm:b0000011

FY26 guidance: gross margin ~33.1%

33.1

0000354950-26-000101 · 0000354950-26-000101:hd_exhibit991x05032026.htm:b0000014

FY26 guidance: operating margin low end (approximately 12.4% to 12.6%)

12.4

0000354950-26-000101 · 0000354950-26-000101:hd_exhibit991x05032026.htm:b0000015

FY26 guidance: effective tax rate ~24.3%

24.3

0000354950-26-000101 · 0000354950-26-000101:hd_exhibit991x05032026.htm:b0000017

FY26 guidance: adjusted diluted EPS flat to +4% from $14.69

14.69

0000354950-26-000101 · 0000354950-26-000101:hd_exhibit991x05032026.htm:b0000022

FY26 guidance: capex ~2.5% of total sales

2.5

0000354950-26-000101 · 0000354950-26-000101:hd_exhibit991x05032026.htm:b0000023

Q2 FY25 net sales (prior-year quarter)

45,277

0000354950-25-000217 · 0000354950-25-000217:hd-20250803.htm:b0000065

Q2 FY25 gross profit (prior-year quarter)

15,125

0000354950-25-000217 · 0000354950-25-000217:hd-20250803.htm:b0000065

Q2 FY25 operating income (prior-year quarter)

6,555

0000354950-25-000217 · 0000354950-25-000217:hd-20250803.htm:b0000065

Q2 FY25 net earnings (prior-year quarter)

4,551

0000354950-25-000217 · 0000354950-25-000217:hd-20250803.htm:b0000065

FY2025 total net sales

164,683

0001628280-26-019436 · 0001628280-26-019436:hd-20260201.htm:b0000545

Headline forecast

Revenue ($M) 46,700 p50 47,300 47,900 model
Model p10–p50–p90.
Adjusted EPS (USD) 4.42 p50 4.57 4.70 model
Model p10–p50–p90.
Free cash flow ($M) 4,000 p50 4,936 5,800 model
Model p10–p50–p90.

The income statement walk

Prior quarter as filed · forecast · change. ✓ = identity enforced at intake.

Line ($M)Prior as filedForecastΔ
Net sales41,76547,300+13.3%
Cost of sales27,98431,762+13.5%
Gross profit ✓13,78115,538+12.7%
Selling, general and administrative7,9598,226+3.4%
Depreciation and amortization841865+2.9%
Total operating expenses ✓8,8009,091+3.3%
Operating income ✓4,9816,447+29.4%
Interest income and other, net-7-12+71.4%
Interest expense611612+0.2%
Interest and other, net expense604600-0.7%
Earnings before provision for income taxes ✓4,3775,847+33.6%
Provision for income taxes1,0881,421+30.6%
Net earnings ✓3,2894,426+34.6%
Basic weighted average common shares994995+0.1%
Basic earnings per share34+34.4%
Diluted weighted average common shares996997+0.1%
Diluted earnings per share (GAAP) ✓3.304.44+34.5%

Bridge: net income 4,426 + acquired_intangible_asset_amortization 175 + income_tax_impact_of_adjustment -43 = non-GAAP net income 4,558 ÷ 997M shares = 4.57 adjusted EPS.

The cash flow statement

As-reported sign conventions; free cash flow = CFO + capex; ✓ totals re-added at intake.

Line ($M)Prior as filedForecast
Net earnings3,2894,426
Depreciation and amortization, excluding amortization of intangible assets910925
Intangible asset amortization171175
Stock-based compensation expense178160
Working-capital and other operating adjustments, net (residual)1,484300
Net cash provided by operating activities ✓6,0325,986
Capital expenditures-844-1,050
Payments for businesses acquired, net-286-100
Other investing activities2120
Net cash used in investing activities ✓-1,109-1,130
Repayments of short-term debt, net-961-1,200
Proceeds from long-term debt, net of discounts6930
Repayments of long-term debt-1,425-1,400
Proceeds from sales of common stock3340
Repurchases of common stock00
Cash dividends-2,320-2,325
Other financing activities-109-80
Net cash used in financing activities ✓-4,713-4,935
Change in cash and cash equivalents before exchange-rate effects ✓210-79
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents25
Net change in cash and cash equivalents including exchange-rate effects ✓212-74

The projected balance sheet

End of quarter. Cash rolls from the model's own cash flow; retained earnings roll from net income, dividends, and buybacks.

Line ($M)Prior as filedForecast
Cash and cash equivalents1,6011,527
Receivables, net6,6246,700
Merchandise inventories27,28026,200
Other current assets1,6671,650
Total current assets ✓37,17236,077
Net property and equipment27,93028,050
Operating lease right-of-use assets9,2759,300
Goodwill22,47922,530
Intangible assets, net10,24410,110
Other assets804810
Total assets ✓107,904106,877
Short-term debt3,5032,303
Accounts payable14,37313,600
Accrued salaries and related expenses2,2372,300
Sales taxes payable800900
Deferred revenue2,6822,700
Income taxes payable851400
Current installments of long-term debt5,1784,800
Current operating lease liabilities1,4841,500
Other accrued expenses4,4724,613
Total current liabilities ✓35,58033,116
Long-term debt, excluding current installments44,82843,860
Long-term operating lease liabilities8,1648,190
Deferred income taxes2,8982,930
Other long-term liabilities2,5602,570
Total liabilities ✓94,03090,666
Common stock9090
Paid-in capital14,90715,105
Retained earnings95,50697,607
Accumulated other comprehensive loss-658-620
Treasury stock, at cost-95,971-95,971
Total stockholders' equity ✓13,87416,211

Expected next-period guidance

Revenue168,800 – 172,100
Adjusted EPS14.69 – 15.28

Quarterly path — where no guide exists

Beyond the guided quarter the model is modeling, not retrieving.

QuarterRev p50 ($M)Rev bandAdj EPS p50GMOMCapexFCF
fiscal 2026 Q3 (ending late October or early November 2026)42,30041,500–43,1003.7433.2%12.6%-1,1502,450
fiscal 2026 Q4 (ending late January or early February 2027)39,00038,300–39,7003.0533.1%11.3%-1,2003,200
fiscal 2027 Q1 (ending early May 2027)42,80042,000–43,6003.6933.1%12.2%-1,0005,300
fiscal 2027 Q2 (ending early August 2027)48,50047,500–49,5004.8833.3%13.9%-1,1505,350

Fiscal-year horizons — absolute forecasts, tracked as vintages

Fiscal yearRev p50 ($M)Rev bandAdj EPS p50EPS bandCapexFCF
fiscal year 2026 (ending January 2027)170,365168,900–171,80014.8014.55–15.10-4,24415,774
fiscal year 2027 (ending January 2028)175,400171,000–179,50015.9015.00–16.80-4,40016,800
fiscal year 2028 (ending January 2029)181,500175,500–187,50017.2016.00–18.40-4,50017,800
fiscal year 2029 (ending January 2030)188,800181,000–196,50018.5017.00–20.00-4,70018,900

Thesis — commitments and triggers, all fundamentals

Every commitment cites a source and names the forecast lines it flows into; every trigger is an observable reported fundamental with its check date. Triggers are re-served to the next run for review.

Capital expenditures of approximately 2.5% of total sales in fiscal 2026

0000354950-26-000101:hd_exhibit991x05032026.htm:b0000023 · horizon fiscal 2026

flows into: cash_flow.capex, horizons.fy0.capex, quarterly_path.fq3_26.capex, quarterly_path.fq4_26.capex

Approximately 15 new stores in fiscal 2026, supplementing comparable sales growth of flat to +2.0%

0000354950-26-000101:hd_exhibit991x05032026.htm:b0000013 · horizon fiscal 2026

flows into: income_statement.revenue, quarterly_path.fq3_26.revenue, quarterly_path.fq4_26.revenue, horizons.fy0.revenue

Fiscal 2026 operating margin of approximately 12.4% to 12.6% (adjusted 12.8% to 13.0%) with gross margin of approximately 33.1%

0000354950-26-000101:hd_exhibit991x05032026.htm:b0000015 · horizon fiscal 2026

flows into: income_statement.operating_income, income_statement.gross_profit, horizons.fy0.operating_income, horizons.fy0.gross_profit

Adjusted diluted EPS guidance excludes ~$0.50/share after-tax acquired intangible amortization (SRS/GMS deal amortization continues)

0000354950-26-000101:hd_exhibit991x05032026.htm:b0000068 · horizon fiscal 2026

flows into: bridge.non_gaap_net_income, cash_flow.intangible_amortization, headline.eps_adjusted

Net interest expense of approximately $2.3B, reflecting post-GMS deleveraging priority; share repurchases remain suspended while debt is paid down

0000354950-26-000101:hd_exhibit991x05032026.htm:b0000018 · horizon fiscal 2026

flows into: income_statement.interest_expense, cash_flow.buybacks, cash_flow.short_term_debt_repayments, cash_flow.long_term_debt_repayments, balance_sheet.long_term_debt

Continued dividend payments (~$2.3B per quarter paid in Q1 FY26)

0000354950-26-000101:hd_exhibit991x05032026.htm:b0000052 · horizon ongoing

flows into: cash_flow.dividends, balance_sheet.retained_earnings, horizons.fy1.cff

What would make it a buyer

Q2 FY26 comparable sales accelerate above +1.5% with U.S. comps positive, driving revenue above $47.6B while gross margin holds at or above 33.0%

checkable at: Q2 FY26 8-K earnings release (August 2026)

FY26 adjusted operating margin tracking to 12.9%+ (op income >$6.5B in Q2) alongside reiterated or raised adjusted EPS guidance

checkable at: Q2 FY26 8-K and Q3 FY26 10-Q (November 2026)

Debt paydown of $2B+ in the quarter (short-term plus long-term repayments) putting leverage on track to resume buybacks by FY27, with CFO above $6.0B

checkable at: Q2 FY26 10-Q cash flow statement (September 2026)

Pro comp outperformance sustained: SRS/GMS-driven non-comp revenue contribution above $1.7B in Q2 with no goodwill/intangible impairment

checkable at: Q2 FY26 10-Q segment/revenue disclosures

What would make it a seller

Q2 FY26 comparable sales negative (below -0.5%) or revenue below $46.5B, signaling demand deterioration beyond housing-lock-in effects

checkable at: Q2 FY26 8-K earnings release (August 2026)

Gross margin below 32.6% in Q2 FY26, indicating tariff cost pass-through failure or adverse GMS mix beyond plan

checkable at: Q2 FY26 8-K income statement

FY26 adjusted EPS guidance cut below $14.69 (negative growth) at the Q2 or Q3 print

checkable at: Q2/Q3 FY26 8-K guidance sections

Inventory above $27.5B at Q2-end (up YoY ex-acquisitions) combined with CFO below $5.0B, signaling working-capital stress into H2

checkable at: Q2 FY26 10-Q balance sheet and cash flow

What must be true: Housing turnover stays depressed but stable (no further leg down in big-ticket discretionary), GMS integration continues to add ~$1.6-1.7B of quarterly revenue at only modestly dilutive margins until it laps in September, tariff costs remain absorbable within the ~33.1% gross margin framework, and free cash flow (~$15.8B FY26) comfortably funds the ~$9.3B dividend plus $4-5B of debt reduction so buybacks can resume in FY27.

Preview note, verbatim

HD reports fiscal Q2 2026 (ended Aug 2) with guidance reaffirmed at Q1 and management signaling demand 'relatively similar to fiscal 2025.' We model sales of $47.3B (+4.5% YoY), carried by the final full quarter of inorganic GMS contribution (~$1.6-1.7B) plus ~+1% comps, before growth decelerates to ~2% in H2 as GMS laps in September. Three things matter. First, comps composition: Q1 showed transactions -1.3% offset by ticket +2.2% (tariff-linked pricing); watch whether big-ticket (>$1,000) stabilizes as mortgage rates ease. Second, gross margin: we model 32.85% vs 33.41% LY, reflecting GMS mix and tariff absorption—the FY 33.1% guide requires no slippage here. Third, the deleveraging cadence: buybacks remain paused; we expect ~$2.6B of combined debt paydown on ~$6.0B CFO, keeping FY27 repurchase resumption on track. We forecast GAAP EPS of $4.44 and adjusted EPS of $4.57 (-2.4% YoY), slightly better sequential trajectory than Q1's -3.7% adjusted decline. FY26 guidance (sales +2.5-4.5%, adjusted EPS flat to +4% from $14.69) should be reaffirmed; a guidance narrowing toward the midpoint would be taken well. The reaction hinges on U.S. comps sign and gross margin: positive U.S. comps with GM ≥33.0% likely re-rates the pro-ecosystem thesis; negative comps or GM below 32.6% reopens the FY26 EPS-cut debate. Balance sheet watch: inventory (~$26.2B expected, down seasonally) and short-term debt reduction below $2.5B.

Full model reasoning (verbatim)

Anchored on filed Q1 FY26 actuals (sales $41,765M, +4.8% with comps +0.6%, implying ~$1.67B non-comp/GMS contribution) and prior-year Q2 FY25 base ($45,277M sales, $15,125M gross profit, $6,555M operating income, $4,551M net income). Q2 FY26 revenue = base +1.0% comps (+$450M) + ~$1.6B GMS/new stores = $47.3B. Gross margin 32.85% (down ~56bps YoY on GMS mix/tariffs, consistent with Q1's -77bps and the 33.1% FY guide). SG&A +5.9% YoY consistent with Q1's +5.7% (GMS opex included), yielding operating income $6,447M (13.6% margin, -85bps YoY vs Q1's -100bps). Net interest $600M per the ~$2.3B FY guide; tax 24.3% per guidance. NI $4,426M, diluted EPS $4.44; adjusted EPS $4.57 adding $175M intangible amortization less $43M tax. Cash flow: CFO $5,986M (Q2 seasonal strength, modest WC tailwind), capex $1,050M ramping toward 2.5% of sales, no buybacks (post-GMS deleveraging), dividends $2,325M, ~$2.6B debt paydown leaving cash at $1,527M. Balance sheet rolls forward from Q1 FY26 with seasonal inventory/AP declines. Quarterly path embeds GMS lapping in Q3 (growth ~2.3%) and FY26 landing at $170.4B (+3.5%, guide midpoint), operating margin 12.4%, GAAP EPS ~$14.27, adjusted ~$14.80—low half of guidance given soft comps. FY27-FY29 assume comp recovery (2-3%) as rate cuts unlock housing turnover, margin rebuild toward 13%, buyback resumption in FY27 funding EPS growth to ~$18.50 adjusted by FY29.

Sealed as snap-354950-20260817T193553116220Z over corpus manifest 4678dd1f… (278 filings, five-year window). Replay: python -m rff.filing.snapshot --replay snap-354950-20260817T193553116220Z. Prompt v5.6. Nothing here is investment advice.