US home improvement retailer Home Depot has reported net sales of $47.86bn for the second quarter (Q2) of fiscal 2026, marking a 5.7% increase.

Comparable sales for the quarter that ended 2 August 2026 climbed 1.7% while comparable sales in the US alone rose 1.3%.

Operating income for the three-month period increased by 4.3% to reach $6.83bn.

Net earnings for Q2 came in at $4.76bn, an increase of 4.7%, working out to $4.79 per diluted share, up from $4.58 in the same period a year earlier.

Basic earnings per share increased to $4.79 from $4.59.

Home Depot chief financial officer and executive vice-president Richard McPhail said: “Our second quarter results exceeded our expectations. We saw broad based demand across the business as customers continued to engage in smaller projects.”

Looking at the first half of fiscal 2026, net sales across the six-month period reached $89.62bn, a rise of 5.3%.

Operating income for the half-year edged up 1.1% to $11.82bn.

Net earnings totalled $8.05bn, up 0.9%.

Basic earnings per share for the six months rose to $8.10 from $8.05 while diluted earnings per share increased to $8.09 from $8.03.

Home Depot has confirmed that its outlook for fiscal 2026 remains unchanged.

The guidance considers IEEPA [International Emergency Economic Powers Act] tariff refunds, which the company expects will help offset a portion of unplanned costs relating to fuel, energy and other product inputs over the course of the year.

Under this guidance, total sales are projected to grow by approximately 2.5% to 4.5%, with comparable sales expected to range from roughly flat to a 2% increase.

The retailer anticipates opening around 15 new stores during the year.

Diluted earnings per share are forecast to grow in the range of approximately flat to 4%, up from $14.23 in fiscal 2025, while adjusted diluted earnings per share are expected to grow within the same approximate range, from a base of $14.69 in fiscal 2025.