Company Actions - Home Depot is cutting 800 roles in its technology organization and other corporate teams to improve operational efficiency [1] - Approximately 150 of the affected employees were based at the company's headquarters in Atlanta, while the remainder worked remotely [2] - The company will require corporate employees to return to the office five days a week starting April 6, as stated by CEO Ted Decker [2] Financial Performance - Home Depot has missed Wall Street's earnings expectations for the last three quarters, resulting in a 10% decline in its shares over the past year [3] - The next earnings report is scheduled for February 24, with previous earnings calls indicating challenges due to consumer uncertainty and pressures in the housing market [3] - Decker noted that the lack of storms in the third quarter contributed to greater-than-expected pressure in certain categories, despite stable underlying demand [3] Industry Context - The home improvement sector is facing challenges such as inflation pressures, elevated interest rates, and a sluggish housing market, which have impacted demand [3][4] - Lowe's, a competitor, reported a mere 0.4% increase in comparable sales, reflecting the difficult environment [3] - Building materials and garden supply retailers have experienced year-over-year drops of at least 4%, indicating broader industry struggles [4][5]

Jan 16 (Reuters) - U.S. equity funds witnessed sharp inflows in the week to January 14 on upbeat earnings ​expectations ahead of the fourth quarter earnings season, with ‌investors brushing off concerns around geopolitics and the Federal Reserve's independence. Easing inflation pressures, ‌bolstering bets of interest rate cuts later this year, also boosted investor sentiment. Investors bought U.S. equity funds amounting to a net $28.18 billion in their largest weekly net purchase since October 1, entire ...