Topline
Home Depot could see “some modest price movement” after previously saying they would not raise prices due to tariffs, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, as the retailer missed estimates for earnings and revenue—a possible indication consumers are spending less, which will become clearer this week after other big box retailers like Lowe’s, Target, and Walmart also report earnings.
Retailers including Lowe’s and Walmart will hold earnings calls this week, which could indicate the impact of tariffs on spending.
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Key Facts
Home Depot reported net earnings at $4.6 billion—slightly below expectations of $4.71 billion, with second quarter revenue also slightly down from projections—the company reported $45.2 billion in net sales, down from an expected $45.3 billion, according to data reported by Reuters.
However, these lower sales were still higher than the company’s first quarter revenue of $39.8 billion.
The retailer’s president and CEO Ted Dinker said in a statement the results were still “in line with our expectations,” and the company reaffirmed its fiscal guidance, including a 2.8% growth in sales for the year.
CFO Richard McPhail warned that higher tariff rates for “some imported goods” could impact prices, but also noted that these adjustments “won’t be broad based,” in comments also confirmed by CNN.
McPhail said customers were avoiding larger home improvement projects in favor of smaller ones, which he said was due to “a result of general uncertainty and higher borrowing costs in the form of interest rates.”
Home Depot imports less than half of its inventory from outside the U.S., executive vice president for merchandising Billy Bastek said at the call on Tuesday.
Key Background
Home Depot said in May the retailer did not plan to raise prices in response to tariffs. “We don’t see broad-based price increases for our customers at all going forward,” Bastek said at the time. However, Bastek did note that some merchandise could leave shelves due to increasing tariffs. “There’s items that we have that could potentially be impacted from a tariff that, candidly, we won’t have going forward,” Bastek said, but did not elaborate on which items this referred to.
What To Watch For
Several major retailers are scheduled to report earnings this week, and their results could indicate how these businesses are dealing with higher tariff rates since President Trump’s “reciprocal” levies kicked in earlier this month. Lowe’s, one of Home Depot’s biggest competitors for home improvement and hardware, will host its earnings call on Wednesday morning. Target and Walmart, two of the largest general retailers in the country, will both hold earnings calls on Thursday morning.
Surprising Fact
Foot traffic at Home Depot stores fell in July, according to a report produced by Placer.ai. According to the analysts, foot traffic at brick and mortar stores fell 4.3% for the month, and was down at least 2.5% for the year. However, the company also said online sales have increased, with Bastek noting on Tuesday “sales leveraging our digital platforms” rose about 12% compared to the second quarter of 2024.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharyfolk/2025/08/19/home-depot-warns-of-price-changes-from-tariffs-after-missing-quarterly-earnings/
