Story perspectives

Home Depot beats Q2 estimates, reaffirms FY2026 guidance

8/19/2026

Summary

Home Depot Beats

Home Depot reported Q2 2026 sales of $47.86 billion, surpassing the $47.27 billion forecast.
Home Depot’s adjusted earnings per share reached $4.92, beating the $4.73 estimate, while comparable-store sales rose 1.7% year over year, the best since Q3 2022.
The company reaffirmed FY2026 guidance of 2.5-4.5% sales growth and 12.4-12.6% operating margin after CFO Richard McPhail and SVP Ann-Marie Campbell assumed day-to-day operations during CEO Ted Decker’s temporary medical leave.

Summary

Home Depot Launches Express

Home Depot launched a nationwide Express Delivery service that guarantees three-hour delivery for a small flat fee without a subscription.
At the end of second quarter, it operated 2,364 retail stores and over 1,340 Small-Format Retail Store locations across the U.S., its territories, ten Canadian provinces and Mexico, with 470,000+ associates.
The retailer plans to open about 15 new stores and add 40-50 Small-Format Retail Store branches in fiscal 2026.

History

Historical Context

Amazon launched Prime on Feb 2 2005, offering two-day shipping for an annual fee; by April 2021 it counted 200 million members, prompting rivals such as Walmart to roll out subscription services. Inspired by that shift, Home Depot under CEO Ted Decker introduced a three-hour Express Delivery, signaling brick-and-mortar retailers’ push into rapid national logistics.

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Home Depot Beats

Home Depot reported Q2 2026 sales of $47.86 billion, surpassing the $47.27 billion forecast.
Home Depot’s adjusted earnings per share reached $4.92, beating the $4.73 estimate, while comparable-store sales rose 1.7% year over year, the best since Q3 2022.
The company reaffirmed FY2026 guidance of 2.5-4.5% sales growth and 12.4-12.6% operating margin after CFO Richard McPhail and SVP Ann-Marie Campbell assumed day-to-day operations during CEO Ted Decker’s temporary medical leave.

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