The Motley Foolยท2025-10-06 01:05Core Viewpoint - Home Depot presents a more compelling investment opportunity compared to Lowe's due to its larger market presence, better growth potential, and favorable capital allocation strategy [1][2]. Group 1: Market Presence - Home Depot has a significantly larger store count with 2,347 stores generating $159.5 billion in sales, compared to Lowe's 1,748 stores and $83.7 billion in sales [3]. - Home Depot's same-store sales increased by 1.4% in the second quarter, while Lowe's saw a 1.1% increase, indicating stronger customer engagement despite a general slowdown in home improvement projects [4]. Group 2: Customer Base Expansion - Home Depot has invested heavily in expanding its customer base, particularly targeting professional contractors through dedicated sales forces and loyalty programs [6]. - Recent acquisitions, such as SRS and GMS, are aimed at enhancing product offerings for professional customers, which is expected to drive long-term sales growth [7][8]. Group 3: Return on Capital - Home Depot's capital allocation policy prioritizes business investment, share repurchases, and dividends, leading to a return on invested capital (ROIC) of 27.2% for the last 12 months [9][10]. - Although Lowe's has a higher ROIC of 29.5%, Home Depot's historical ROIC was significantly higher at 44.6% in 2022, suggesting potential for recovery and growth in a favorable market environment [10][11]. Group 4: Valuation and Growth Expectations - The market has higher growth expectations for Home Depot, reflected in its price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 27 compared to Lowe's 20, indicating that the higher valuation for Home Depot is justified given its long-term prospects [12].