Home Depot Has Raised Its Dividend for 17 Consecutive Years and Reports Earnings Aug. 18. Is It the Smarter Dow Stock to Buy Over Walmart?

Home Depot (NYSE: HD) shares haven't been performing well. In the past 5 years, they person risen lone 5% (as of Aug. 6). Following a pandemic-fueled surge successful request that saw gross emergence double-digit percentages successful fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2021, the location betterment elephantine has been dealing with tighter macroeconomic conditions that person negatively impacted the business.

However, Home Depot continues to prioritize its investors, having raised the dividend payout successful 17 consecutive years. And it's acceptable to study second-quarter 2026 fiscal results connected Aug. 18, which volition supply a caller glimpse astatine however the institution is performing.

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If you're looking to bargain a Dow Jones stock, should you take Home Depot? Or does Walmart (NASDAQ: WMT) merit your hard-earned capital?

Home Depot is committed to shareholders

Home Depot has shown that it's a cyclical business. In caller years, higher involvement rates and inflationary pressures person wounded the company's maturation profile. Home Depot's same-store income (SSS) decreased 3.2% successful fiscal 2023, fell 1.8% successful fiscal 2024, and roseate by conscionable 0.3% successful fiscal 2025. And they are expected to summation 1% (at the midpoint) this fiscal year.

This weaker inclination hasn't gotten successful the mode of the enactment team's unwavering committedness to shareholders. Home Depot presently pays a quarterly dividend of $2.33 per share. As mentioned, the concern has accrued the payout successful 17 consecutive years. If that wasn't awesome enough, see the information that the institution has present paid a dividend successful 157 consecutive quarters, translating to astir 40 years.

Despite softer income momentum, Home Depot has ne'er had an contented generating accordant profits. Even successful the depths of the large recession, the concern posted affirmative escaped currency travel successful each azygous fiscal twelvemonth from 2008 done 2010. This allows Home Depot to money its operations, portion besides returning superior to shareholders.

The institution is acceptable to study fiscal results for the fiscal 2026 Q2 connected Aug. 18. Besides SSS, investors should wage adjacent attraction to lawsuit spending connected big-ticket items and updates to guidance.

Walmart is operating astatine a higher level

Walmart, the world's largest retailer, holds up good during hard economical times. When it reports fiscal results for Q2 2027 connected Aug. 20, sell-side analysts expect gross and diluted net per stock to emergence 6.3% and 8.8%, respectively, twelvemonth implicit year.