Home Depot tops 3Q expectations again, but sticks by outlook

ATLANTA (AP) — Home Depot easily topped expectations for both profit and revenue in the third quarter, but investors are spooked because the company is sticking by projections it put out earlier this year. The Atlanta company earned $4.34 billion in the quarter, or $4.24 per share. That far exceeds the per-share projections of $4.11 on Wall Street. Quarterly revenue of $38.87 billion also exceeded forecasts. However, for the year, the home improvement retailer affirmed its expectations that sales would grow about 3%, which is weaker than most analysts have projected. It expects per-share growth in the mid-single digits percentage range.