AXP vs. HD: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AXP and HD, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
HD’s market capitalization of 369.79 billion USD is significantly greater than AXP’s 229.88 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.
With betas of 1.25 for AXP and 1.02 for HD, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
| Symbol | AXP | HD |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | American Express Company | The Home Depot, Inc. |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Financial Services | Consumer Cyclical |
| Industry | Financial - Credit Services | Home Improvement |
| CEO | Stephen Joseph Squeri | Edward P. Decker |
| Price | 328.13 USD | 371.68 USD |
| Market Cap | 229.88 billion USD | 369.79 billion USD |
| Beta | 1.25 | 1.02 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | June 1, 1972 | September 22, 1981 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AXP and HD by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
AXP
34.05%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 34.05%
- Q3
- 18.70%
- Median
- 10.57%
- Q1
- 3.55%
- Min
- -12.12%
In the upper quartile for the Financial - Credit Services industry, AXP’s Return on Equity of 34.05% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
HD
236.10%
Home Improvement Industry
- Max
- 17.64%
- Q3
- 15.63%
- Median
- 8.27%
- Q1
- 2.23%
- Min
- 0.65%
HD’s Return on Equity of 236.10% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Home Improvement industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
Return on Invested Capital
AXP
8.40%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 68.11%
- Q3
- 32.26%
- Median
- 9.52%
- Q1
- 3.37%
- Min
- -7.03%
Return on Invested Capital is often not a primary measure of capital efficiency in the Financial - Credit Services industry.
HD
21.80%
Home Improvement Industry
- Max
- 27.68%
- Q3
- 17.94%
- Median
- 5.81%
- Q1
- 3.74%
- Min
- 0.32%
In the upper quartile for the Home Improvement industry, HD’s Return on Invested Capital of 21.80% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
Net Profit Margin
AXP
13.64%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 39.42%
- Q3
- 20.10%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 5.82%
- Min
- -14.80%
AXP’s Net Profit Margin of 13.64% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Financial - Credit Services industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
HD
8.98%
Home Improvement Industry
- Max
- 8.98%
- Q3
- 7.30%
- Median
- 4.53%
- Q1
- 3.35%
- Min
- 0.23%
A Net Profit Margin of 8.98% places HD in the upper quartile for the Home Improvement industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin
AXP
17.36%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 77.26%
- Q3
- 42.86%
- Median
- 17.99%
- Q1
- 10.82%
- Min
- -14.94%
AXP’s Operating Profit Margin of 17.36% is around the midpoint for the Financial - Credit Services industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
HD
13.24%
Home Improvement Industry
- Max
- 13.24%
- Q3
- 10.79%
- Median
- 5.88%
- Q1
- 3.74%
- Min
- 0.41%
An Operating Profit Margin of 13.24% places HD in the upper quartile for the Home Improvement industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AXP | HD |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 34.05% | 236.10% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 3.64% | 14.76% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 8.40% | 21.80% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 13.64% | 8.98% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.36% | 13.24% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 82.37% | 33.34% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
AXP
0.32
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 8.15
- Q3
- 4.39
- Median
- 2.62
- Q1
- 1.06
- Min
- 0.15
For the Financial - Credit Services industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.
HD
1.09
Home Improvement Industry
- Max
- 1.81
- Q3
- 1.42
- Median
- 1.24
- Q1
- 1.13
- Min
- 1.01
HD’s Current Ratio of 1.09 falls into the lower quartile for the Home Improvement industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
AXP
1.69
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 4.69
- Q3
- 2.55
- Median
- 1.20
- Q1
- 0.55
- Min
- 0.00
AXP’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.69 is typical for the Financial - Credit Services industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
HD
2.89
Home Improvement Industry
- Max
- 1.50
- Q3
- 1.50
- Median
- 1.14
- Q1
- 0.88
- Min
- 0.71
With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 2.89, HD operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Home Improvement industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.
Interest Coverage Ratio
AXP
1.59
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 17.48
- Q3
- 7.42
- Median
- 1.59
- Q1
- 0.38
- Min
- -7.77
The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Financial - Credit Services industry.
HD
8.80
Home Improvement Industry
- Max
- 77.66
- Q3
- 36.61
- Median
- 10.22
- Q1
- 9.24
- Min
- 8.80
In the lower quartile for the Home Improvement industry, HD’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 8.80 indicates a tighter cushion for servicing debt, suggesting less financial flexibility than many of its competitors.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AXP | HD |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 0.32 | 1.09 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.32 | 0.28 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 1.69 | 2.89 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.19 | 0.23 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.03 | 0.84 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 1.59 | 8.80 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AXP and HD. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
AXP
0.93%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 14.68%
- Q3
- 2.97%
- Median
- 1.03%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
AXP’s Dividend Yield of 0.93% is consistent with its peers in the Financial - Credit Services industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
HD
2.45%
Home Improvement Industry
- Max
- 6.27%
- Q3
- 2.37%
- Median
- 1.03%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 2.45%, HD offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Home Improvement industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
Dividend Payout Ratio
AXP
20.01%
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 169.58%
- Q3
- 38.15%
- Median
- 18.30%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
AXP’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 20.01% is within the typical range for the Financial - Credit Services industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
HD
61.38%
Home Improvement Industry
- Max
- 120.85%
- Q3
- 88.43%
- Median
- 49.53%
- Q1
- 9.42%
- Min
- 0.00%
HD’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 61.38% is within the typical range for the Home Improvement industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AXP | HD |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.93% | 2.45% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 20.01% | 61.38% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
AXP
22.38
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 42.04
- Q3
- 25.88
- Median
- 12.28
- Q1
- 9.55
- Min
- 3.09
AXP’s P/E Ratio of 22.38 is within the middle range for the Financial - Credit Services industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
HD
25.19
Home Improvement Industry
- Max
- 39.38
- Q3
- 35.79
- Median
- 23.00
- Q1
- 18.95
- Min
- 15.05
HD’s P/E Ratio of 25.19 is within the middle range for the Home Improvement industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
AXP
2.10
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 2.76
- Q3
- 1.57
- Median
- 0.82
- Q1
- 0.51
- Min
- 0.06
A Forward PEG Ratio of 2.10 places AXP in the upper quartile for the Financial - Credit Services industry. This suggests the stock is potentially expensive compared to its peers relative to its growth forecast, which may warrant caution.
HD
2.98
Home Improvement Industry
- Max
- 2.96
- Q3
- 2.76
- Median
- 2.09
- Q1
- 1.72
- Min
- 0.17
HD’s Forward PEG Ratio of 2.98 is exceptionally high for the Home Improvement industry. This suggests its stock price is very high relative to its expected earnings growth, signaling significant overvaluation risk.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
AXP
3.05
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 6.24
- Q3
- 3.02
- Median
- 1.54
- Q1
- 0.75
- Min
- 0.32
The P/S Ratio is often not a primary valuation tool in the Financial - Credit Services industry.
HD
2.27
Home Improvement Industry
- Max
- 2.25
- Q3
- 1.72
- Median
- 1.23
- Q1
- 0.91
- Min
- 0.46
With a P/S Ratio of 2.27, HD trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Home Improvement industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
Price-to-Book Ratio
AXP
7.37
Financial - Credit Services Industry
- Max
- 3.58
- Q3
- 2.84
- Median
- 1.28
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.07
At 7.37, AXP’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Financial - Credit Services industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
HD
46.35
Home Improvement Industry
- Max
- 3.63
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 3.51
- Q1
- 2.45
- Min
- 1.05
At 46.35, HD’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Home Improvement industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AXP | HD |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 22.38 | 25.19 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.10 | 2.98 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.05 | 2.27 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 7.37 | 46.35 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 20.31 | 24.34 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 15.56 | 15.30 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 3.06 | 2.40 |