NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 19:17 ET — After-hours
- Home Depot shares closed down 0.67% at $347.45 and were little changed in after-hours trading.
- U.S. pending home sales rose 3.3% in November, beating forecasts and reaching the highest level since February 2023, the National Association of Realtors said.
- Investors are watching Tuesday’s home-price data and Wednesday’s Fed minutes for fresh signals on rates and housing into year-end trading.
Home Depot (HD) shares ended Monday down 0.67% at $347.45 and were little changed in after-hours trading, tracking a broad market dip as investors weighed new housing data and the outlook for rate-sensitive consumer names into year end.
The home-improvement retailer is closely tied to the U.S. housing cycle because moves, remodels and repairs tend to rise when more homes change hands and homeowners feel less squeezed by borrowing costs. Mortgage rates and leading housing indicators have become key inputs for investors trying to pin down the timing of a demand rebound.
That backdrop sharpened on Monday after a report showed pending home sales — contracts signed to buy existing homes — jumped 3.3% in November from October, topping economists’ expectations for a 1.0% rise, Reuters reported. The index hit its strongest level since February 2023.
“Homebuyer momentum is building,” NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said, pointing to improving affordability as mortgage rates eased and wage gains outpaced home prices. National Association of REALTORS®
Pending sales tend to lead existing-home sales because contracts typically convert into closings within one or two months, NAR said — a timeline that could shape early-2026 expectations for housing-linked retailers.
Mortgage rates have been moving in the same direction. Freddie Mac said the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to 6.18% as of Dec. 24, down from 6.21% a week earlier and 6.85% a year earlier.
Even so, Home Depot has urged patience. Earlier this month, the company outlined a preliminary fiscal 2026 view that implied slower growth than analysts had penciled in, with management citing the lack of a clear housing “inflection” as consumers stayed cautious on big-ticket projects. Reuters+1
Monday’s decline also reflected the tape. The S&P 500 and Dow fell in quiet, holiday-thinned trading, with large-cap decliners weighing on the blue-chip index.
Home Depot’s closest big-box peer, Lowe’s (LOW), also eased on the day, underscoring that investors are still trading the group as a housing proxy rather than on fresh company-specific catalysts.
Home Depot traded between $344.77 and $350.23 in the regular session, with about 3.8 million shares changing hands, and the stock held near the close in extended trading.
Ahead of Tuesday’s session, traders will parse the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller home price index for October at 9:00 a.m. ET and Chicago PMI at 9:45 a.m., with the Fed’s December meeting minutes due Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. ET, according to Scotiabank’s calendar.
On the company calendar, Home Depot’s next earnings are expected on Feb. 24, 2026, according to Zacks, when investors will look for updates on comparable sales, demand from professional contractors and the balance between promotional activity and margins as rates and housing turnover set the tone for 2026.
