Certain statements contained herein, as well as in other filings we make with the SEC and other written and oral information we release, regarding our performance or other events or developments in the future constitute “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may relate to, among other things, the demand for our products and services;services, including as a result of macroeconomic conditions; net sales growth; comparable sales; the effects of competition; our brand and reputation; implementation of store, interconnected retail, store, supply chain and technology initiatives; inventory and in-stock positions; the state of the economy; the state of the housing and home improvement markets; the state of the credit markets, including mortgages, home equity loans, and consumer credit; the impact of tariffs; issues related to the payment methods we accept; demand for credit offerings; management of relationships with our associates, potential associates, suppliers and service providers; cost and availability of labor; costs of fuel and other energy sources; events that could disrupt our business, supply chain, technology infrastructure, or demand for our products and services, such as international trade disputes, natural disasters, climate change, public health issues, (including the continuing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related recovery), cybersecurity events, geopolitical conflicts, and military conflicts or acts of war, supply chain disruptions, and other business interruptions that could compromise data privacy or disrupt operation of our stores, distribution centers and other facilities,war; our ability to operate or access communications, financial or banking systems, or supply or delivery of, or demand for, our products or services;maintain a safe and secure store environment; our ability to address expectations regarding ESGenvironmental, social and governance matters and meet ESGrelated goals; continuation or suspension of share repurchases; net earnings performance; earnings per share; dividend targets;future dividends; capital allocation and expenditures; liquidity; return on invested capital; expense leverage; changes in interest rates; changes in foreign currency exchange rates; commodity or other price inflation and deflation; our ability to issue debt on terms and at rates acceptable to us; the impact and expected outcome of investigations, inquiries, claims, and litigation, including compliance with related settlements; the challenges of operating in international operations;markets; the adequacy of insurance coverage; the effect of accounting charges; the effect of adopting certain accounting standards; the impact of legal and regulatory changes, including changes to tax laws and regulations; store openings and closures; financial outlook; and the impact of acquired companies on our organization and the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of any acquisitions.

The Home Depot, Inc. is the world’s largest home improvement retailer based on net sales for fiscal 2022.2023. We offer our customers a wide assortment of building materials, home improvement products, lawn and garden products, décor products, and facilities maintenance, repair and operations products. We also provide a number of services, including home improvement installation services and tool and equipment rental. As of the end of fiscal 2022,2023, we operated 2,3222,335 stores located throughout the U.S. (including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the territories of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam), Canada, and Mexico. The Home Depot stores average approximately 104,000 square feet of enclosed space, with approximately 24,000 additional square feet of outside garden area. We also maintain a network of distribution and fulfillment centers, as well as a number of e-commerce websites in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. When we refer to “The Home Depot,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our” in this report, we are referring to The Home Depot, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

The retail landscape has changed rapidly over the past several years, with a complex macroeconomic environment and customer expectations constantlycontinually evolving. In fiscal 2022,2023, we experienced a year of moderation after the unprecedented growth of the prior three years, as we navigated the continued to operate with agility to meetshift in consumer consumption trends away from goods and towards services and the challenges created byimpact of a fluid domestic and global business environment, including supply chain disruptions, tight labor market conditions, and ongoing inflationary pressures.rising interest rate environment. Our ability to operate successfully and meet the needs of our customers in an efficient and cost-effective way was due in significant part to our investments over the past several years aimed at creating an interconnected, frictionless shopping experience that enables our customers to seamlessly blend the digital and physical worlds. Going forward, we will continue to leverage the momentum of these investments and continue to invest in our business in support of the following goals:

We believe that these goals will help us grow faster than the market and deliver value to our shareholders. We are steadfast in this commitment, while also recognizing that exercising corporate responsibility and being informed by the needs of our other stakeholders, including our customers, associates, supplier partners, and communities, creates value for all stakeholders, including our shareholders.

These customers are primarily professional renovators/remodelers, general contractors, maintenance professionals, handymen, property managers, building service contractors and specialty tradespeople, such as electricians, plumbers and painters. These customers build, renovate, remodel, repair, and maintain residential properties, multifamily properties, hospitality properties, and commercial facilities, including education, healthcare, government, institutional, and office buildings.

We have a number of initiatives designed to drive growth with our Pros, including those working on both simple and complex projects. We remain focused on providing a customized online experience, a dedicated sales force, a broad assortment of Pro-focused products and brands, an extensive delivery network, our Pro Xtra loyalty program, and enhanced credit offerings, and inventory management programs.offerings. Building on our historical strength as a destination for urgent purchase needs, we are investing in differentiated capabilities that will help us better serve our Pros’ plannedcomplex purchase needs, (in-store or via our dedicated sales team), including our expanded supply chain capabilities, additional trade credit offerings, more showroom space, and advance ordering through our interconnected digital platforms. We believe that focusing on meeting the Pros’ planned purchase needs, particularly for larger renovator/remodeler Pros, will help us drive growth and deliver value to our shareholders.an enhanced order management system.

We extended our reach inserve the MRO marketplace withthrough our fiscal 2020 acquisition ofsubsidiary HD Supply, a leading national distributor and provider of MRO products and related value-added services to multifamily, hospitality, healthcare, and government housing facilities, among others, and in fiscal 2021 we integrated our legacy Interline Brands business into HD Supply.others. Our MRO operations use a distribution center-based model that sells products primarily through a professional sales force and through e-commerce platforms and print catalogs.

In October 2023, we announced changes to our leadership structure, aligning our outside sales and service business with our global store organization to better serve our Pros by leveraging our full ecosystem and newest capabilities. We recognize the great value our Pros provide to their clients, and we strive to make their jobs easier and help them grow their businesses.businesses, from expanded capabilities to improve their business and customer experience to the Path to Pro network we are building for Pros to connect with jobseekers to help address the skilled labor shortage. We believe that investments aimed at deepening our relationships with our Pros are yielding increased engagement and will continue to translate into incremental sales to these customers.

A typical The Home Depot store stocks approximately 30,000 to 40,000 items during the year, including both national brand name and proprietary products. Our online product offerings complement our stores by serving as an extended aisle, and we offer a significantly broader product assortment through our websites and mobile applications, including homedepot.com, our primary website; homedepot.ca and homedepot.com.mx, our websites in Canada and Mexico;Mexico, respectively; hdsupply.com, our website for our MRO products and related services; blinds.com, our online sitewebsites for custom window coverings;coverings including blinds.com, justblinds.com and americanblinds.com; and thecompanystore.com, our online sitewebsite featuring textiles and décor products.

To complement our merchandising efforts, we offer a number of services for our customers, including installation services for our DIY and DIFM customers, as noted above. We also provide tool and equipment rentals at locations across the U.S. and Canada, providing value and convenience for both Pros and consumers. To improve the customer experience and continue to grow this differentiated service offering, we are continuing to invest in more locations (including pilotingcontinuing to pilot rental locations in Mexico), more tools, and better technology.

We maintain a global sourcing program to obtain high-quality and innovative products directly from manufacturers in the U.S. and around the world. During fiscal 2022,2023, in addition to our U.S. sourcing operations, we maintained sourcing offices in Mexico, Canada, China, India, Vietnam and Europe. To ensure that suppliers adhere to our high standards of social and environmental responsibility, we also have a global responsible sourcing program. Under our supplier contracts, our suppliers are obligated to ensure that their products comply with applicable international, federal, state and local laws. These contracts also require compliance with our responsible sourcing standards, which cover a variety of expectations across multiple areas of social compliance, including supply chain transparency, compliance with local laws, health and safety, environmentalapplicable laws and regulations compensation, hours of work, andaddressing prohibitions on child and forced labor.labor, health and safety, environmental matters, compensation, and hours of work. To drive accountability with our suppliers, our standard supplier buying agreement includes a factory audit right related to these standards, and we conduct factory audits and compliance visits with non-Canada and non-U.S. suppliers of private branded and direct import products. Our 20222023 Responsible Sourcing Report, available on our website at https://corporate.homedepot.com under “Responsibility > Sourcing Responsibly,” provides more information about this program. In addition, we have both quality assurance and engineering resources dedicated to establishing criteria and overseeing compliance with safety, quality and performance standards for our private branded products.

Our industry is highly competitive, highly fragmented, and evolving. As a result, we face competition for customers for our products and services from a variety of retailers, suppliers, service providers, and distributors and manufacturers that sell products directly to their respective customer bases.

We compete primarily based on customer experience, price, quality,experience; price; quality; product availability, assortment, and assortment,innovation; and delivery options, both in-store and online. We also compete based on store location and appearance, presentation of merchandise, and ease of shopping experience.experience throughout every step of the project, from inspiration and research to any post-purchase support. Our Pros also look for a dedicated sales team,support, competitive credit

We use our marketing, advertising and promotional programs to drive customer traffic and compete more effectively, and we must regularly assess and adjust our efforts to address changes in the competitive landscape. Intense competitive pressures from one or more of our competitors, such as through aggressive promotional pricing or liquidation events, or our inability to adapt effectively and quickly to a changing competitive landscape, could adversely affect our prices, our margins, or demand for our products and services. If we are unable to timely and appropriately respond to these competitive pressures, including through the delivery of a superior interconnected customer experience or through maintenance of effective sales and marketing, advertising or promotional programs leveraging both our digital and physical platforms, our market share and our financial performance could be adversely affected. In addition,fiscal 2023 we are operatingalso continued to operate in an inflationary and rising interest rate environment, and the long-term outlook is difficult to predict. If we experience inflation or deflation at a highly inflationary environment. If inflation increaseslevel beyond our ability to control our related costs,respond effectively, we may not be able to adjust prices to sufficiently offset the effect of the various cost increaseseffects without negatively impacting consumer demand or margins, as applicable, or it may adversely affect our ability to compete based on price.

The success of our business depends in part on our ability to identify and respond promptly to evolving trends in demographics; shifts in consumer preferences, expectations and needs; changes in the macroeconomic environment; and unexpected weather conditions, natural disasters, or public health issues (including pandemics and related impacts), natural disasters, or changes in the macroeconomic environment that impact our customers, while also managing appropriate inventory levels in our stores and distribution or fulfillment centers and maintaining an excellent customer experience. It is difficult to successfully predict the products and services our customers will demand. As our customers expect a more personalized experience, our ability to collect, use, retain, and protect relevant customer data is important to our ability to effectively meet their expectations. Our ability to collect and use that data, however, is subject to a number of external factors, including the impact of legislation or regulations governing data privacy, data-driven technologies such as artificial intelligence, and data security, andas well as customer expectations around data collection, retention, and use. In addition, each of our primary customer groups has different needs and expectations, many of which evolve as the demographics in a particular customer group change. Customer preferences and expectations related to sustainability of products and operations are also changing. In addition, as the impacts of COVID-19 have subsided, customers have shifted more of their spending back to travel, dining and other experiences, compared to the historic levels of home improvement spending we saw during the heights of the pandemic. If we do not successfully differentiate the shopping experience to attract our customers and meet thetheir individual needs and expectations, ofit may adversely impact our sales or within a customer group, we may loseour market share with respect to those customers.share.

Customer expectations about the methods by which they purchase and receive products or services are also becoming more demanding. Customers routinely and increasingly use technology and a variety of electronic devices and digital platforms to rapidly compare products and prices, read product reviews, determine real-time product availability, and purchase products, and new channels and tools to expand the customer experience appear and change rapidly. Our Pros also look for additional capabilities, including a dedicated sales team,support, competitive credit and pricing options, project planning tools, and product depth and job lot quantities, particularly for their plannedcomplex purchase needs. Once products are purchased, customers seek alternate options for delivery of those products, including advance ordering through digital platforms for Pros, and they often expect quick, timely, and low-price or free delivery and/or convenient pickup options. We must continually anticipate and adapt to these changes in the shopping and purchasing process by continuing to adjust and enhance the online and in-store customer experience as well as our delivery options. The coordinated operation of our network of physical stores, distribution facilities, and online platforms is fundamental to the success of our interconnected strategy. We cannot guarantee that our current or future fulfillment options will be maintained and implemented successfully or that we will be able to meet customer expectations on delivery or pickup times, options and costs. In addition, as our customers continue to leverage our enhanced interconnected shopping and fulfillment options, a greater concentration of online sales with direct fulfillment could result in a reduction in the amount of traffic in our stores, which would, in turn, reduce the opportunities for cross-selling of merchandise that such traffic creates and could reduce our overall sales and adversely affect our financial performance. A greater concentration of online sales with direct fulfillment could also result in higher costs for delivery, potentially impacting our profit margins.

otherwise timely identify or respond to changing consumer preferences, expectations and home improvement needs could adversely affect our relationship with our customers, the demand for our products and services, and our market share.

Our brand and reputation are critical to attracting customers, current and potential associates, suppliers and vendors to do business with us. We must continue to manage and protect our brand and reputation. Negative incidents can erode trust and confidence quickly, and adverse publicity about us could damage our brand and reputation; undermine our customers’ confidence in us; reduce demand for our products and services; affect our ability to recruit, engage, motivate and retain associates; attract regulatory scrutiny; and impact our relationships with current and potential suppliers and vendors. Our suppliers’ and vendors’ business practices and positions may also be attributed to us, regardless of our Company’s actions, meaning the actions of third parties pose similar risks to our brand and reputation. Further, our actual or perceived position or lack of position on social, environmental, governance, political, public policy, economic, geopolitical, or other sensitive issues, and any perceived lack of transparency about those matters, could harm our reputation with certain groups. In addition, we could be criticized for the scope or nature of ESG-related initiatives or goals, or for any revisions to or failure to achieve these goals on a timely basis or at all. If our ESG-related data, processes and reporting are incomplete or inaccurate, we could face regulatory scrutiny, litigation and/or adverse reputational impacts. Customers are also increasingly using social media to provide feedback and information about our Company, including our products and services, in a manner that can be quickly and broadly disseminated. Negative sentiment about the Company shared over social media, or misinformation from fraudulent accounts impersonating the Company, could impact our brand and reputation, whether or not it is based in fact.

We continueOver the past several years, we have made significant investments to invest inexecute our interconnected retail strategy, including by making significant investments to expandenhancing and expanding our supply chain.chain, developing differentiated capabilities for our customers, expanding our store base, and making strategic acquisitions. These investments are designed to streamline our operations to allow our associates to continue to provide high-quality service to our customers; simplify customer interactions; provide our customers with a more interconnected shopping experience; expand our sales to larger Pros and better address Pro plannedtheir complex purchase needs; and create the fastest, most efficient, and most reliable delivery network for home improvement products. Failure to choose the right investments and implement them in the right manner and at the right pace could disrupt our operations. Executing our interconnected retail strategy requires continual investment in our operations and information technology systems, as well as the development and execution of new processes, systems and support. Building outInvestment in our supply chain also involves significant real estate projects as we expand our distribution network, requiring us to identify and secure available locations with appropriate characteristics needed to support the different types of facilities. If we are unable to effectively manage the volume, timing, nature, location, and cost of these investments, projects and changes, our business operations and financial results could be materially and adversely affected. The cost and potential problems, defects of design, and interruptions associated with the implementation of these initiatives, including those associated with managing third-party service providers, employing new online tools and services, implementing new technologies, implementing and restructuring support systems and processes, securing appropriate facility locations, and addressing impacts on inventory levels, could disrupt or reduce the efficiency of our operations in the near term, lead to product availability issues, and impact our profitability.

We must effectively manage the volume, timing, nature, location, and cost of our investments, projects and changes. Failure to continue to make investments to effectively support our strategy and to implement or integrate those investments in the right manner and at the right pace could adversely impact our stores may not deliverbusiness operations or financial results. The cost and potential problems, defects of design, and interruptions associated with the relevant shopping experience our customers expectimplementation of these initiatives, including those associated with managing third-party service providers, employing new online tools and services, implementing new technologies such as artificial intelligence, implementing and restructuring support systems and processes, securing appropriate store and facility locations, and addressing impacts on inventory levels, could disrupt or fully support an interconnected shopping experience. We must also maintain a safe store environment for our customers and associates, as well as protect against loss or theftreduce the efficiency of our inventory (also called “shrink”), including as a result of organized retail crime. High rates of shrink, which we continueoperations in the near term, lead to experience, or an unsafe store environment, requires operational changes that may increase costsproduct availability issues, create complexity in our systems and adverselyoperations and impact the customer and associate experience.

As part of our focus on product differentiation, we have formed strategic alliances and exclusive relationships with certain suppliers to market products under a variety of well-recognized brand names. We have also developed relationships with certain suppliers to allow us to market proprietary products that are comparable to national brands. Our proprietary products differentiate us from other retailers and generally carry higher margins than national brand products. If we are unable to manage and expand these alliances and relationships, maintain favorable terms with current suppliers, or identify alternative sources for comparable brand name and proprietary products, we may not be able to effectively execute product differentiation, which may impact our sales and gross margin results. Our suppliers’ business practices and positions may also be attributed to us, regardless of our Company’s actions, meaning that controversies regarding our suppliers of brand name or proprietary products pose risks to our reputation and brand, and could require us to quickly identify alternative sources for comparable products.

We regularly consider and enter into strategic transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, investments, alliances, and other growth and market expansion strategies. We generally expect that these transactions will result in sales increases, cost savings, synergies, enhanced capabilities or various other benefits. Assessing the viability and realizing the benefits of these transactions is subject to significant uncertainty. For each of our acquisitions, we need to determine the appropriate level of integration of the target company’s products, services, associates, and information technology, financial, human resources, compliance, and other systems and processes, and then successfully manage that integration into our corporate structure. Integration can be a complex and time-consuming process, and if the integration is not fully successful or is delayed for a material period of time, we may not achieve the anticipated synergies or benefits of the acquisition. In addition, the integration of businesses may create increased complexity in our financial systems, internal controls, technology and cybersecurity systems, and operations and may make them more difficult to manage. Even if the target companies are successfully integrated, the acquisitions may fail to further our business strategy as anticipated, expose us to increased competition or challenges with respect to our products or services, and expose us to additional risks and liabilities. Strategic transactions may also be subject to significant regulatory uncertainty. The changing enforcement landscape may result in additional costs or delays that affect the anticipated outcome of a transaction. Any failure in the execution of a strategic transaction or investment, our approach to the integration of an acquired asset or business, or achievement of synergies or other benefits could result in slower growth, higher than expected costs, the recording of an impairment of goodwill or other intangible assets, and other actions which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our customers expect a high level of customer service and product knowledge from our associates. To meet the needs and expectations of our customers, we must attract, develop and retain a large number of highly qualified associates and maintain a productive relationship with those associates. Our ability to meet our labor needs while controlling labor costs is subject to numerous external factors, including increased market pressures with respect to prevailing wage rates, unemployment levels, and health and other insurance costs; the impact of legislation or regulations governing labor relations, employment, immigration, minimum wage, and healthcare benefits; changing demographics and expectations among the workforce; public health concerns; and our reputation within the labor market. We also compete with other retail businesses for many of our associates in hourly positions, and we invest significant resources in training and motivating them to maintain a high level of job satisfaction. These positions often have high turnover rates, which can lead to increased training and retention costs, particularly in a competitive labor market. We have faced and may continue to face additional challenges in recruiting and retaining associates due to wage pressure; flexible scheduling needs; disruption in the availability of childcare;health and safety concerns; and challenges related to a remote or hybrid working environment for associates who work in our store support centers; and health and safety concerns.centers. We are also subject to labor union efforts to organize groups of our associates from time to time and, if successful, those organizational efforts may decrease our operational flexibility and efficiency, and/or otherwise negatively impact our operations or reputation. These factors, together with growing competition among potential employers, have resulted in and may continue to result in increased salaries, benefits, or other employee-related costs, and/or may impair our ability to recruit and retain

costs, and/or may impair our ability to recruit and retain associates, which could have an adverse impact on our business operations, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, to execute our interconnected retail strategy, including our supply chain investments, we must attract and retain a large number of skilled professionals, including technology professionals, to implement our ongoing technology and other investments. The market for these professionals is very competitive. An inability to provide wages and/or benefits, including remote or hybrid work flexibility, that are competitive within the markets in which we operate could adversely affect our ability to retain and attract associates. Further, changes in market compensation rates may adversely affect our labor costs.

Additionally, our ability to successfully execute organizational changes, including management transitions within the Company'sCompany’s senior leadership, and to effectively motivate and retain associates is critical to our business success. If we are unable to locate, attract or retain qualified associates, or manage leadership transitions successfully, our ability to effectively manage our strategy may be negatively impacted, the quality of service we provide to our customers may decrease, and our financial performance may be adversely affected.

We rely extensively on information technology systems and related personnel to collect, process,use, retain, manage, transmit, and protect transactions and data. Some of these systems are managed or provided by third-party service providers, including certain cloud platform providers. In managing our business, we also rely heavily on the integrity of, security of, and consistent access to, systems that provide operational and financial data for information such asand capabilities related to sales (both in store and online), customer data, supplier data, associate data, job applicant data, partner data, demand forecasting, merchandise ordering, inventory replenishment, supply chain management, payment processing, order fulfillment, customer service, and post-purchase matters. For these information technology systems, applications, and processes to operate effectively, we or our service providers must maintain and update them. Delays in the maintenance, updates, upgrading, or patching of these systems, applications or processes, as well as the actions taken to maintain, update, upgrade and patch, could, impair, and on occasion have, impaired their effectiveness or could exposeexposed us to security risks. Our systems and the third-party systems with which we interact, as well as any systems those third parties utilize, are subject to and on occasion have experienced damage, interruption, or interruptionmalicious activity from a number of causes, including power and other critical infrastructure outages; computer and telecommunications failures; computer viruses; data or security breaches; internal or external data theft or misuse; cyber-attacks, including the use of malicious codes, worms, phishing, smishing, vishing, spyware, denial of service attacks, and ransomware; responsive containment measures by us that may involve voluntarily taking systems offline; natural disasters and catastrophic events such as fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, or other extreme weather events; public health concerns, such as pandemics and quarantines; geopolitical or military conflicts, acts of war, terrorism or civil unrest; other systems outages; inadequate or ineffective redundancy; and design or usage errors or malfeasance by our associates, contractors or third-party service providers. In addition, as more business activities have shifted online, and as many of our store support associates continue to work in a remote or hybrid environment, we face an increased risk due to the potential failure of internal or external information technology infrastructure as well as increased cybersecurity threats and attempts to breach our security networks.

Although we and our third-party service providers seek to maintain our respective systems effectively and to successfully address the risk of compromise of the integrity, security and consistent operations of these systems, such efforts are not always successful. As a result, we or our service providers could experience and on some occasions have experienced errors, interruptions, delays or cessations of service in key portions of our information technology infrastructure, which could significantly disrupt our operations or impair data security; impact our ability to operate or access communications, financial or banking systems; be costly, time-consuming and resource-intensive to remedy; and adversely impact our reputation and relationship with our customers, associates, suppliers, shareholders or regulators. We may have to expend significant resources to mitigate the impact of any errors, interruptions, delays or cessations of service and may have insufficient recourse against service providers who experience such events.

In addition, we are currently making, and expect to continue to make, substantial investments in our information technology systems, infrastructure and personnel, in certain cases with the assistance of strategic partners and other third-party service providers. These investments involve replacing existing systems, some of which are older, legacy systems that are less flexible and efficient, with successor systems; outsourcing certain technology and business processes to third-party service providers; making changes to existing systems, including the migration of applications to the cloud; maintaining or enhancing legacy systems that are not currently being replaced; or designing or cost-effectively acquiring new systems with new functionality.functionality; or testing the use and incorporation of artificial

intelligence, including generative artificial intelligence. These efforts cancould result, and on occasion have resulted, in significant potential risks, including failure of the systems to operate as designed, unexpected impacts on related systems or processes, potential loss or corruption of data, failures in security processes and internal controls, cost overruns, implementation delays or errors, disruption of operations, and the potential inability to meet business and reporting requirements. Any system implementation and transition difficulty may result in operational challenges, security failures, reputational harm, and increased costs that could adversely affect our business operations, our relationships with our customers, and results of operations.

Through our information technology systems, we are able to provide an improved overall shopping and interconnected experience that empowers our customers to shop and interact with us from a variety of electronic devices and digital platforms.platforms at each stage of their shopping journey. We use our digital platforms as sales channels for our products and services, as methods of providing inspiration, and as sources of product, project, and other relevant information to our customers to help drive sales. We also have multiple online communities, digital platforms, and knowledge centers that allow us to inform, assist and interact with our customers. The retail industry is continually evolving and expanding, with a significant increase in sales initiated online and via mobile applications.applications in recent years. We may not be successful at managing this increased volume and related delivery options without interruption in the future. Additionally, we must effectively respond to new developments and changing customer preferences with respect to a complex, evolving digital and interconnected experience. We continually seek to enhance all of our online and digital properties to provide a personalized, user-friendly interface for our customers. Disruptions, delays, failures or other performance issues with our customer-facing technology systems, either due to increased volume, system modifications, or other factors, or a failure of these systems to meet our or our customers’ expectations, could impair the value they provide, adversely impact our sales, and negatively affect our relationship with our customers.

Disruption within our logistics or supply chain network, such as the industry-wide supply chain challenges resultingthat resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, have in the past and may in the future adversely affect our ability to receive and deliver inventory in a timely manner, impair our ability to meet customer demand for products, and result in lost sales, increased supply chain costs, and/or damage to our reputation. Such disruptions may result from damage or destruction to our distribution or fulfillment centers or those of our supply chain service providers; weather-related events; cybersecurity incidents or attacks; natural disasters; international trade disputes, trade policy changes or restrictions, or import- or export-related governmental sanctions or restrictions; customs actions, including regulatory enforcement inquiries, holds, detentions, and exclusions; quotas, tariffs or other import-related taxes; strikes, lock-outs, work stoppages or slowdowns; shortages of supply chain labor, including truck drivers; shipping capacity constraints, including shortages of related equipment; raw material or other shortages; third-party contract disputes or inability to maintain favorable contract terms; supply or shipping interruptions or costs; increased costs or unavailability of fuel; geopolitical or military conflicts or acts of war, as well as any related sanctions or other government or private responses; acts of terrorism; public health issues, including pandemics or quarantines (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) and other related shut-downs, re-openings, or other actions by government regulators or others;impacts; civil unrest; or other factors beyond our control. In recent years, ports in the U.S. and elsewhere have been impacted by capacity constraints, port congestion and delays, periodic labor disputes, security issues, weather-related events, and natural disasters. Disruptions

We and our suppliers have experienced, and may continue to experience, labor shortages at some of our distribution and fulfillment centers both due to unexpected events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and to the competitive labor market. Such labor shortages, whether temporary or sustained, may adversely impact the flow or availability of products to our stores and customers.

Any of these circumstances could impair our ability to meet customer demand for products and result in lost sales, increased supply chain duecosts, or damage to our reputation, any of the factors listed abovewhich could negatively impact our financialbusiness performance or financial condition.

We accept payments using a variety of methods, including credit and debit cards, our private label credit cards, cash, electronic payments, checks, PayPal, installmentdigital wallets, loan programs including installment loans, trade credit, and gift cards, and we may offer new payment options over time. Acceptance of these payment options subjects us to rules, regulations, contractual obligations and compliance requirements, including payment network rules and operating guidelines, data security standards and certification requirements, and rules governing electronic funds transfers. These requirements may change over time or be reinterpreted, making compliance more difficult, costly, or uncertain. For certain payment methods, including credit and debit cards, we pay interchange fees and other fees,costs to accept these payments, and we may also incur losses, all of which may increase over time and raise our operating costs. We rely on third parties to provide payment processing services, including the processing of credit cards, debit cards, and other forms of electronic payment. If these companies become unable to provide these services to us, or if their systems are compromised, it could potentially disrupt our business. The payment methods that we offer, and the selling channels in which we operate, also subject us to potential fraud and theft by threat actors, who are becoming increasingly more sophisticated, seeking to obtain unauthorized access to or exploit weaknesses that may exist in our sales, payments and payment processing systems. If we fail to comply with applicable rules or requirements for the payment methods we accept, or if payment-related data is compromised

Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tropical storms, fires, floods, droughts or water scarcity, tornadoes, and earthquakes; unseasonable, unexpected or extreme weather conditions, whether as a result of climate change or otherwise; acts of terrorism or violence, including active shooter situations; public health concerns, such as pandemics and quarantines and related shut-downs, re-openings, or other actions by government regulators or others;impacts; civil unrest; geopolitical or military conflicts or acts of war, as well

as any related sanctions or other government or private responses; or similar disruptions and catastrophic events could have and have on occasion had an adverse effect on our operations or financial performance in a number of ways. These types of events can affect consumer spending and confidence and consumers’ disposable income, particularly with respect to home improvement or construction projects, and could have an adverse effect on our financial performance. These types of eventsprojects. They can also adversely affect our work force and prevent associates and customers from reaching our stores and other facilities. They can, also, temporarily or on a long-term basis, disrupt or disable operations of stores, support centers, and portions of our supply chain and distribution network, including causing reductions in the availability of inventory and disruption of utility services. In addition, these events may affect our information systems and digital platforms, resulting in disruption to various aspects of our operations, including our ability to transact with customers and fulfill orders; to communicate with our stores, facilities, store support centers or senior management; or to access financial or banking systems. Unseasonable, unexpected or extreme weather conditions such as excessive precipitation, warm temperatures during the winter season, or prolonged or extreme periods of warm or cold temperatures, could render a portion of our inventory incompatible with customer needs.

Furthermore, the long-term impacts of climate change, whether involving physical risks (such as extreme weather conditions) or transition risks (such as regulatory or technology changes) are expected to be widespread and unpredictable. These changes over time could affect, for example, the availability and cost of or demand for certain consumer products, commodities, and energy (including utilities), which in turn may impact our ability to procure certain goods or services for the operation of our business at the quantities and levels we consider optimal.

As a consequence of these or other catastrophic or uncharacteristic events, we may experience interruption to our operations, increased costs, changes in customer behavior or demand, or losses of property, equipment or inventory, which would adversely affect our revenue and profitability.

We buy our products from suppliers located around the world, who in turn procure materials from across the globe. Our ability to continue to identify and develop relationships with qualified suppliers who can satisfy our high standards for quality and responsible sourcing, as well as our need to access products in a timely and efficient manner, is a significant challenge. Our ability to access products from our suppliers can be adversely affected by economic or political instability; civil unrest; geopolitical or military conflicts or acts of war, as well as any related sanctions or other government or private responses; acts of terrorism or violence; public health issues (including pandemics and related impacts); the financial instability of suppliers; suppliers’ noncompliance with applicable laws; contract disputes or inability to maintain favorable contract terms; trade restrictions; tariffs; currency exchange rates; disruptions in our suppliers’ logistics or supply chain networks or information technology systems; inability to sell certain products due to customs actions, including regulatory enforcement inquiries, holds, detentions, and exclusions; raw material or other shortages; actual, potential or perceived noncompliance with our standards for suppliers or other controversies regarding suppliers’ business practices; and other factors beyond our or our suppliers’ control. If we are unable to access products to meet our customers’ demands and expectations in a timely and efficient manner, our sales and gross margin results may be adversely impacted.

compensation, hours of work, and prohibitions on child and forced labor. Further, all of our suppliers must comply with Company policies and applicable law, including the laws of the jurisdictions from which products and materials are sourced, regarding the sourcing of raw materials, including timber and minerals, used in our products. We have a responsible sourcing audit process, but we are also dependent on our suppliers to ensure that the products and services we provide to our customers comply with our standards and applicable law.law, including with respect to information provided by suppliers to government agencies about the source of the products or the constituent elements of those products. Further, the supply chain for some of the products we sell may be too attenuated for us to know with certainty the source of some of the components, such as timber, minerals, or other raw materials, of the products we sell. Actual, potential or perceived supplier non-compliance with our standards or applicable law — including allegations of non-compliance raised by non-governmental organizations or in third-party reports — could, and in certain instances in the past has, exposed us to litigation or governmental enforcement actions or resulted in costly product recalls; resulted in inability to sell certain products due to failure to meet our standards or due to customs actions, including regulatory enforcement inquiries, holds, detentions, and exclusions; impacted our reputation; and resulted in termination of supplier relationships and/or other liabilities.

In addition to other product-related risks discussed in this section, as we expand our proprietary product offerings, we may become subject to increased risks due to our greater role in the design, manufacture, marketing and sale of those products. The risks include greater responsibility to administer and comply with applicable regulatory requirements, increased potential product liability and product recall exposure, and increased potential reputational risks related to the responsible sourcing of those products. To effectively execute on our product differentiation strategy, we must also be able to successfully protect our proprietary rights and successfully navigate and avoid claims related to the proprietary rights of third parties. In addition, an increase in sales of our proprietary products may adversely affect sales of our suppliers’ products, which in turn could adversely affect our relationships with certain of our suppliers. Any failure to appropriately address some or all of these risks could damage our reputation and have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

We act as a general contractor to provide installation services to our DIFM customers through professional third-party licensed and insured installers. As such, we are subject to regulatory requirements and risks applicable to general contractors, which include management of background checks, licensing, permitting, and handling of environmental risks, as well as quality of work performed by our third-party installers. We have established processes and procedures to manage these requirements and manage customer satisfaction with the services provided by our third-party installers. However, as we experienced in part with our recent EPA investigation, andthe resulting consent decree in April 2021, and the subsequent discussions with the EPA regarding compliance with the consent decree, if we fail to manage these processes effectively, collect the appropriate documentation, perform regular job site inspections, or provide proper oversight of these services, we could suffer lost sales, fines, lawsuits, or governmental enforcement actions for violations of regulatory requirements, as well as claims for property damage or personal injury. In addition, we may suffer damage to our reputation or the loss of our general contractor licenses, which could adversely affect our business.

We are subject to various U.S. federal, state and local laws and regulations, as well as international laws and regulations, that govern numerous aspects of our business. In recent years, a number of new laws and regulations have been adopted, there has been expanded enforcement of certain existing laws and regulations by federal, state and local agencies, and the interpretation of certain laws and regulations has become increasingly complex. These laws and regulations, and related interpretations and enforcement activity, may change as a result of a variety of factors, including political, economic or social events. Changes in, expanded enforcement of, or adoption of new federal, state, local or localinternational laws and regulations governing minimum wage or living wage requirements; the classification of exempt and non-exempt employees; the distinction between employees and contractors; other wage, labor or workplace regulations; healthcare; data privacy and cybersecurity; the sale, marketing, sourcing, and pricing of some of our products; transportation, logistics and interstate delivery operations, including Department of Transportation regulations on vehicles and drivers; international trade; supply chain transparency; the sourcing of raw materials, including timber and minerals, used in our products; taxes, including changes to corporate tax rates; restrictions on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions; competition and antitrust requirements;requirements and enforcement; ESG programs, transparency and reporting;reporting, including U.S. federal or state or international regulations; unclaimed property; energy costs and consumption; or hazardous waste disposal and other environmental matters, including with respect to our installation services business, could increase our costs of doing business or impact our sales, operations or profitability.

Our ability to successfully conduct retail operations in, and source products and materials from, international markets is affected by many of the same risks we face in our U.S. operations, as well as unique costs and difficulties of managing international operations. Our international operations, including any expansion in international markets, may be adversely affected by local laws and customs, U.S. laws applicable to foreign operations and other foreign legal and regulatory constraints, as well as political, social and economic conditions. Risks inherent in international operations also include, among others, potential adverse tax consequences; international trade disputes, trade policy changes or potential tariffs and other import-related taxes and controls; inability to sell certain products due to customs actions, including regulatory enforcement inquiries, holds, detentions, and exclusions; greater difficulty in enforcing intellectual property rights; limitations on access to ports; risks associated with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and local anti-bribery law compliance; geopolitical or military conflicts or acts of war, as well as any related sanctions or other government or private responses; compliance with

forced labor laws; compliance with environmental and responsible sourcing laws and regulations; and challenges in our ability to identify and gain access to local suppliers. For example, trade tensions between the U.S. and China have led to a series of significant tariffs on the importation of certain product categories. As a portion of our retail products are sourced, directly or indirectly, outside of the U.S., major changes in tax or trade policies, tariffs or trade relations could adversely impact the cost of, demand for, and profitability of retail product sales in our U.S. locations. Other countries may also change their business and trade policies in anticipation of or in response to increased import tariffs and other changes in U.S. trade policy and regulations. In addition, our operations in international markets create risk due to foreign currency exchange rates and fluctuations in those rates, which may adversely impact our sales and profitability.

Prices of certain commodity products, including lumber and other raw materials, are historically volatile and are subject to fluctuations arising from changes in domestic and international supply and demand, inflationary or deflationary pressures, labor costs, competition, market speculation, government regulations, tariffs and trade restrictions, natural disasters, geopolitical conflicts, and periodic delays in delivery. For example, Russia’s invasion of Ukraineconflicts in Europe and the Middle East and the related international responses have exacerbated inflationary pressures, including causing increases in commodity prices, as well as fuel and other energy costs, and shipping costs. Rapid and significant changes in commodity and other prices, such as changes in lumber prices, and our ability to pass them on to our customers or manage them through our portfolio strategy, may affect the demand for our products, our sales and our profit margins. If product cost inflation increases beyond our ability to control our related costs, we may not be able to adjust prices to sufficiently offset the effect of the various cost increases without negatively impacting consumer demand.

We are predominantly self-insured for a number of different risk categories, such as general liability (including product liability), property loss, workers’ compensation, employee group medical, employment practices liability and wage and hour claims, automobile claims, and network securitycybersecurity and privacy liability, with insurance coverage for certain catastrophic risks above the self-insurance levels. The types and amounts of insurance may vary from time to time based on our decisions with respect to risk retention and regulatory requirements. The occurrence of significant claims, a substantial rise in costs to maintain our insurance, the failure to maintain adequate insurance coverage, or disputes with insurers regarding coverage could have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

GAAP and related accounting pronouncements, implementation guidelines and interpretations with regard to a wide range of matters that are relevant to our business, such as asset impairment, inventories, lease obligations, self-insurance, vendor allowances, tax matters, business combinations, and litigation, are complex and involve many

The Company is party to various legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of its business, but is not currently a party to any legal proceeding that management believes will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position or our results of operations.

SEC regulations require us to disclose certain information about proceedings arising under federal, state or local environmental regulations if we reasonably believe that such proceedings may result in monetary sanctions above a stated threshold. Pursuant to SEC regulations, the Company uses a threshold of $1 million for purposes of determining whether disclosure of any such proceedings is required.

Since April 19, 1984, our common stock has been listed on the NYSE, trading under the symbol “HD.” We paid our first cash dividend on June 22, 1987 and have paid a cash dividend during each subsequent quarter. While we currently expect a cash dividend to be paid in the future, future dividend payments will depend on our earnings, capital requirements, financial condition, and other factors considered relevant by our Board of Directors.

At March 1, 2023,February 28, 2024, there were approximately 110,000106,000 holders of record of our common stock and approximately 4,938,0005,075,000 additional “street name” holders whose shares are held of record by banks, brokers, and other financial institutions.

The graph and table below present our cumulative total shareholder returns relative to the performance of the S&P Retail Composite Index and the S&P 500 Index for the five most recent fiscal years. The graph assumes $100 was invested at the closing price of our common stock on the NYSE and in each index on the last trading day of the fiscal year ended January 28, 2018February 3, 2019 and assumes that all dividends were reinvested on the date paid. The points on the graph represent fiscal year-end amounts based on the last trading day in each fiscal year.

The following table presents the number and average price of shares purchased in each fiscal month of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022:2023:

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022,2023, we issued 483521 deferred stock units under the Home Depot, Inc. Nonemployee Directors’ Deferred Stock Compensation Plan pursuant to the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506 of the SEC’s Regulation D thereunder. The deferred stock units were credited during the fourth quarter of fiscal 20222023 to the accounts of those non-employee directors who elected to receive all or a portion of board retainers in the form of deferred stock units instead of cash. The deferred stock units convert to shares of common stock on a one-for-one basis following a termination of service as described in this plan.

We generated $14.6$21.2 billion of cash flow from operations and issued $6.9$2.0 billion of long-term debt, net of discounts, during fiscal 2022.2023. This cash flow, together with cash on hand, was used to fund cash payments of $7.8$8.4 billion for dividends and $6.7$8.0 billion for share repurchases. In addition, we invested $3.2 billion in capital expenditures and $1.5 billion in acquisitions, and we repaid $2.5$1.3 billion of long-term debt and $1.0 billion of net short-term debt and funded $3.1 billion in capital expenditures during fiscal 2022.2023. In February 2023,2024, we announced a 10%7.7% increase in our quarterly cash dividend to $2.09$2.25 per share.

The following table presents the percentage relationship between net sales and major categories in our consolidated statements of earnings:

We assess our sales performance by evaluating both net sales and comparable sales.

Online sales, which consist of sales generated online through our websites and mobile applications for products picked up at our stores or delivered to customer locations, represented 14.2%14.8% of net sales and grewincreased by 7.4%1.1% during fiscal 20222023 compared to fiscal 2021. The increase in online2022.

A weaker U.S. dollar positively impacted net sales by $276 million in fiscal 2022 was a result of customers continuing to leverage our digital platforms and reflects our ongoing investments to enhance these platforms and related fulfillment capabilities, which support our interconnected retail strategy.2023.

Gross profit increased $1.9decreased $1.8 billion, or 3.8%3.4%, to $52.8$51.0 billion in fiscal 2022.2023. Gross profit as a percent of net sales, or gross profit margin, was 33.4% in fiscal 2023 compared to 33.5% in fiscal 2022 compared to 33.6% in fiscal 2021.2022. The decrease in gross profit margin was primarily drivenreflects price stabilization as well as reduction and optimization of our inventory position, partially offset by higher product and transportation costs,lower supply chain costs.

While we continue to experience shrink above historical averages, year-over-year pressure to gross profit margin from shrink during the second half of the year, and investmentsdecreased as we moved through fiscal 2023. As a result, shrink did not have a significant impact on our gross profit margin in our supply chain network, offset by the benefit from higher retail prices, along with favorable product mix.fiscal 2023 compared to fiscal 2022.

Our operating expenses are composed of SG&A and depreciation and amortization.

To provide clarity on our operating performance, we supplement our reporting with certain non-GAAP financial measures. However, this supplemental information should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the related GAAP measures. Non-GAAP financial measures presented herein may differ from similar measures used by other companies.

We believe ROIC is meaningful for investors and management because it measures how effectively we deploy our capital base. We define ROIC as NOPAT, a non-GAAP financial measure, for the most recent twelve-month period, divided by average debt and equity. We define average debt and equity as the average of beginning and ending long-term debt (including current installments) and equity for the most recent twelve-month period.

The following table presents the calculation of ROIC, together with a reconciliation of NOPAT to net earnings (the most comparable GAAP measure):

At January 29, 2023,28, 2024, we had $2.8$3.8 billion in cash and cash equivalents, of which $825 million$1.0 billion was held by our foreign subsidiaries. We believe that our current cash position, cash flow generated from operations, funds available from our commercial paper program, and access to the long-term debt capital markets should be sufficient not only for our operating requirements, any required debt payments, and satisfaction of other contractual obligations, but also to enable us to invest in the business, fund dividend payments, and fund any share repurchases through the next several fiscal years. In addition, we believe we have the ability to obtain alternative sources of financing, if necessary.

Our material cash requirements include contractual and other obligations arising in the normal course of business. These obligations primarily include long-term debt and related interest payments, operating and finance lease obligations, and purchase obligations. In addition to our cash requirements, we follow a disciplined approach to capital allocation. This approach first prioritizes investing in the business, followed by paying dividends, with the intent of then returning excess cash to shareholders in the form of share repurchases. ForDuring fiscal 2023, we plan to investinvested approximately $3$3.2 billion back into our business in the form of capital expenditures,expenditures. Additionally, we invested approximately $1.5 billion on three acquisitions during fiscal 2023, accelerating our strategic initiatives and providing us with better capabilities to serve our customers.

For fiscal 2024, in line with our expectation of approximately two percent of net sales on an annual basis.basis, we plan to invest approximately $3.0 billion to $3.5 billion back into our business in the form of capital expenditures, with investments focused on new stores and improving the customer experience, including through technology and development of other differentiated capabilities. However, we may adjust our capital expenditures to support the operations of the business, to enhance long-term strategic positioning, or in response to the economic environment, as necessary or appropriate. Capital expenditures were $3.1 billion in fiscal 2022.

During fiscal 2022,2023, we paid cash dividends of $7.8$8.4 billion to shareholders. In February 2023,2024, we announced a 10%7.7% increase in our quarterly cash dividend from $1.90$2.09 to $2.09$2.25 per share. We intend to pay a dividend in the future; however, any future dividend is subject to declaration by the Board of Directors based on our earnings, capital requirements, financial condition, and other factors considered relevant by our Board of Directors.

In August 2022,2023, our Board of Directors approved a $15.0 billion share repurchase authorization that replaced the previous authorization of $20.0$15.0 billion, which was approved in May 2021. This newAugust 2022. The August 2023 authorization does not have a prescribed expiration date. As of January 29, 2023,28, 2024, approximately $12.5$12.3 billion of the $15.0 billion share repurchase authorization remained available. During fiscal 2022,2023, we had cash payments of $6.7$8.0 billion for repurchases of our common stock through open market purchases.

In July 2022, we expanded ourWe have a commercial paper program from $3.0 billionthat allows for borrowings up to $5.0 billion to further enhance our financial flexibility. All of our short-term borrowings in fiscal 2022 were under our commercial paper program, and the maximum amount outstanding at any time was $2.7 billion. In connection with our program, we have back-up credit facilities with a consortium of banks. In July 2022, we also expanded the borrowing capacity under these back-up facilities from $3.0 billionbanks for borrowings up to $5.0 billion, by entering intowhich consist of a five-year $3.5 billion credit facility scheduled to expire in July 2027 and a 364-day $1.5 billion credit facility scheduled to expire in July 2023. These facilities replaced2024. In July 2023, we completed the renewal of our previously existing five-year $2.0364-day $1.5 billion credit facility, which was scheduledextending the maturity from July 2023 to expire in DecemberJuly 2024. All of our short-term borrowings during fiscal 2023 and our 364-day $1.0 billion credit facility, which was scheduled to expire in December 2022. At January 29, 2023, there were no borrowings outstanding under our commercial paper program, and the maximum amount outstanding at any time was $1.5 billion. At January 28, 2024, we had no outstanding borrowings under this program, and we were in compliance with all of the covenants contained in our credit facilities, none of which are expected to impact our liquidity or capital resources.

We also issue senior notes from time to time as part of our capital management strategy. In March 2022,November 2023, we issued $4.0$2.0 billion of senior notes. The net proceeds from this issuance were used for general corporate purposes, including the repayment of outstanding indebtednessour 3.75% senior notes due February 15, 2024 and repurchases of shares of our common stock. In September 2022,April 2023, we issued an additional $3.0repaid $1.0 billion of senior notes. The net proceeds from this issuance were used for general corporate purposes, including repurchases of shares of our common stock. During fiscal 2022, we repaid $2.25 billion of senior notes.notes at maturity. At January 29, 2023,28, 2024, we had an aggregate principal amount of senior notes outstanding of $41.2$42.2 billion, with $1.0$1.1 billion payable within 12 months. Future interest payments associated with these senior notes total $24.9$23.7 billion, with $1.7 billion payable within 12 months, based on current interest rates, which include the impact of our active interest rate swap agreements.

We have no material off-balance sheet arrangements.