Atlanta – The Home Depot reported higher net sales and net
earnings in the fiscal fourth quarter, ended Jan. 29.
Sales for the quarter were $16 billion, a 5.9 percent
increase from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010. Comp-store sales for the
quarter were up 5.7 percent, and comp sales for U.S. stores were up 6.1
percent.
Net earnings for the fourth quarter were $774 million,
compared with net earnings of $587 million in the same period of the prior year.
For the fiscal year
sales were $70.4 billion, an increase of 3.5 percent from fiscal 2010.
Total company comp-store sales for the year increased 3.4 percent, and comp
sales for U.S. stores were positive 3 percent for the year.
Net earnings were $3.9 billion, up from the prior fiscal
year’s $3.33 billion.
At the end of the fiscal fourth quarter, Home Depot operated
a total of 2,252 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces, Mexico and
China.