Certain statements contained herein, as well as in other filings we make with the SEC and other written and oral information we release, regarding our future performance constitute "forward-looking statements"“forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may relate to, among other things, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related recovery on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition (which, among other things, may affect many of the items listed below); the demand for our products and services; net sales growth; comparable sales; effects of competition; our brand and reputation; implementation of store, interconnected retail, supply chain and technology initiatives; inventory and in-stock positions; state of the economy; state of the housing and home improvement markets; state of the credit markets, including mortgages, home equity loans, and consumer credit; impact of tariffs; issues related to the payment methods we accept; demand for credit offerings; management of relationships with our associates, suppliers and vendors;service providers; international trade disputes, natural disasters, public health issues (including pandemics and quarantines, related shut-downs and other governmental orders, and similar restrictions, as well as subsequent re-openings), and other business interruptions that could disrupt supply or delivery of, or demand for, the Company’s products or services; continuation or suspension of share repurchase programs;repurchases; net earnings performance; earnings per share; dividend targets; capital allocation and expenditures; liquidity; return on invested capital; expense leverage; stock-based compensation expense; commodity price inflation and deflation; the ability to issue debt on terms and at rates acceptable to us; the impact and expected outcome of investigations, inquiries, claims, and litigation;litigation, including compliance with related settlements; the effect of accounting charges; the effect of adopting certain accounting standards; the impact of the Tax Actregulatory changes, including changes to tax laws and other regulatory changes;regulations; store openings and closures; financial outlook; and the integrationimpact of acquired companies, intoincluding HD Supply, on our organization and the ability to recognize the anticipated synergies and benefits of those acquisitions.

Forward-looking statements are based on currently available information and our current assumptions, expectations and projections about future events. You should not rely on our forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to future events, risks and uncertainties – many of which are beyond our control, dependent on actions of third parties, or currently unknown to us – as well as potentially inaccurate assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations and projections. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those described in Item 1A, "Risk“Risk Factors,"” and elsewhere in this report and also as may be described from time to time in our future reports we file with the SEC.

The Home Depot, Inc. is the world’s largest home improvement retailer based on net sales for fiscal 2018.2020. We offer our customers a wide assortment of building materials, home improvement products, lawn and garden products, décor products, and décorfacilities maintenance, repair and operations products and provide a number of services, including home improvement installation services and tool and equipment rental. As of the end of fiscal 2018,2020, we had 2,2872,296 The Home Depot stores located throughout the U.S. (including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the territories of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam), Canada, and Mexico. The Home Depot stores average approximately 104,000 square feet of enclosed space, with approximately 24,000 additional square feet of outside garden area. We also maintain a network of distribution and fulfillment centers, as well as a number of e-commerce websites. When we refer to "The“The Home Depot,"” the "Company," "we," "us"“Company,” “we,” “us” or "our"“our” in this report, we are referring to The Home Depot, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.

The Home Depot, Inc. is a Delaware corporation that was incorporated in 1978. Our Store Support Center (corporate office) is located at 2455 Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30339. Our telephone number at that address is (770) 433-8211.

These strategic investments are designed to extend our current competitive advantages. We believe our primary competitive advantages are: (1) our culture and associates, (2) our premium real estate, (3) our world-class merchandising organization, (4) our flexible supply chain, and (5) our digital experience. Taken together, our One Home Depot vision and execution of the related strategies are helping us to meet our two principal business objectives: continue to grow our share of the highly competitive market in which we operate and deliver shareholder value. We believe that our customers demand. Below are some ofefforts to build the waysOne Home Depot experience, and the groundwork we laid in these areas over the past decade, position us well to meet our objectives in any environment and have been investingparticularly important in navigating the challenges created by the pandemic. We achieved record sales in fiscal 2020, while remaining focused on two key priorities: the safety and well-being of our associates and customers and providing our customers and communities with the products and services they need.

We also remained focused on our objective to return value to our shareholders. We are steadfast in this commitment, while also recognizing that experience during fiscal 2018.exercising corporate responsibility and being informed by the needs of our other stakeholders, including our customers, associates, supplier partners, and communities, creates value for all stakeholders, including our shareholders.

A typical The Home Depot store stocks approximately 30,000 to 40,000 items during the year, including both national brand name and proprietary products. Our online product offerings complement our stores by serving as an extended aisle, and we offer a significantly broader product assortment through our websites, including homedepot.com, our primary website; blinds.com, our online site for custom window coverings; and thecompanystore.com, anour online retailer ofsite for textiles and décor products that we acquired in late fiscal 2017 to expand our offering of online décor categories. We also routinely useproducts.

To help our merchandising organization keep pace with changing customer expectations and increasing desire for innovation, localization and personalization, we are continuing to invest in tools to refinebetter leverage our online assortmentdata and drive a deeper level of collaboration with supplier partners. As a result, we have continued to balancefocus on enhanced merchandising information technology tools to help us: (1) build an interconnected shopping experience that is tailored to our customers’ personas, shopping context, and location; (2) ensure we have the extended choice with a more curated offering.best value in the market; and (3) optimize our product assortments.

Our business, results of operations, and financial condition are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. In connection with any investment decision with respect to our securities, you should carefully consider the following risk factors, as well as the other information contained in this report and our other filings with the SEC. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. Should any of these risks materialize, our business, results of operations, financial condition and future prospects could be negatively impacted, which in turn could affect the trading value of our securities. You should read these Risk Factors in conjunction with "Management’s“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations"Operations” in Item 7 and our consolidated financial statements and related notes in Item 8.

Our industry is highly competitive, highly fragmented, and evolving. As a result, we face competition for our products and services from a variety of retailers, suppliers, distributors and manufacturers that sell products directly to their respective customer bases, and service providers, ranging from traditional brick-and-mortar, to multichannel, to exclusively online. The internet facilitates competitive entry, price transparency, and comparison shopping, increasing the level of competition we face. In each of the markets we serve, there areThese competitors include a number of other home improvement retailers; electrical, plumbing and building materials supply houses; and lumber yards. With respect to some products and services, we also compete with specialty design stores, showrooms, discount stores, local, regional and national hardware stores, paint stores, mail order firms, warehouse clubs, independent building supply stores, MRO companies, home décor retailers, and other retailers, as well as with providers of home improvement services and tool and equipment rental. The internet facilitates competitive entry, price transparency, and comparison shopping, increasing the level of competition we face.

We compete both in-store and online, primarily based on customer experience, price, quality, availability, product assortment, and delivery options. With respect to our stores, weoptions, both in-store and online. We also compete based on store location and appearance, as well as presentation of merchandise. Ourmerchandise, and ease of shopping experience. Furthermore, customers routinely use a variety of electronic devices and platforms to shop online, read product reviews, and compare prices, products, and delivery options, regardless of where or how they shop. Further, online and multichannel retailers are increasingly focusing on delivery services, with customers seeking faster and/or guaranteed delivery times, and low-price or free shipping.shipping, and/or convenient pickup options, including curbside pickup. Our ability to be competitive on delivery and pickup times, options and delivery costs depends on many factors, including the success of our investments in One Supply Chain and the One Home Depot Supply Chain,experience, and our failure to successfully manage these factors and offer competitive delivery and pickup options could negatively impact the demand for our products and our profit margins.

We use our marketing, advertising and promotional programs to drive customer traffic and compete more effectively, and we must regularly assess and adjust our efforts to address changes in the competitive landscape. Intense competitive pressures from one or more of our competitors, such as through aggressive promotional pricing or liquidation events, or our inability to adapt effectively and quickly to a changing competitive landscape, could adversely affect our prices, our margins, or demand for our products and services. If we are unable to timely and appropriately respond to these competitive pressures, including through the delivery of a superior customer experience or maintenance of effective marketing, advertising or promotional programs, our market share and our financial performance could be adversely affected.

The success of our business depends in part on our ability to identify and respond promptly to evolving trends in demographics; consumer preferences, expectations and needs; and unexpected weather conditions, public health

issues (including pandemics and quarantines and related shut-downs, re-openings, or other actions by the government) or natural disasters, while also managing appropriate inventory levels in our stores and distribution or fulfillment centers and maintaining an excellent customer experience. It is difficult to successfully predict the products and services our customers will demand. As our customers begin to expect a more personalized experience, our ability to collect, use and protect relevant customer data is important to our ability to effectively meet their expectations. Our ability to collect and use that data, however, is subject to a number of external factors, including the impact of legislation or regulations governing data privacy and security. In addition, each of our primary customer groups has different needs and expectations, many of which evolve as the demographics in a particular customer group change. We also need to offer more localized assortments of our merchandise to appeal to local cultural and demographic tastes within each customer group. If we do not successfully differentiate the shopping experience to meet the individual needs and expectations of – or within – a customer group, we may lose market share with respect to those customers.

Customer expectations about the methods by which they purchase and receive products or services are also becoming more demanding. As noted above, customersCustomers routinely use technology and a variety of electronic devices and digital platforms to rapidly compare products and prices, read product reviews, determine real-time product availability, and purchase products. Once products are purchased, customers are seeking alternate options for delivery of those products, and they often expect quick, timely, and low-price or free delivery.delivery and/or convenient pickup options. We must continually anticipate and adapt to these changes in the purchasing process. We have our BOSS, BOPIS, BODFS and direct fulfillment delivery options, but we cannot guarantee that these or future programs will be maintained and implemented successfully or that we will be able to meet customer expectations on delivery or pickup times, options and costs. Customers are also using social media to provide feedback and information about our Company and products and services

In addition, a greater concentration of online sales with direct fulfillment or curbside pickup could result in a manner that can be quickly and broadly disseminated. Toreduction in the extent a customer has a negative experience and shares it over social media, it may impact our brand and reputation.

Failure to improve and maintain our stores, utilize our store space effectively, and offer a safe shopping environment; to provide a compelling online presence; to timely identify or respond to changing consumer preferences, expectations and home improvement needs andneeds; to maintain appropriate inventory; to provide quick and low-price or free delivery alternatives;alternatives and convenient pickup options; to differentiate the customer experience for our primary customer groups; and to effectively implement an increasingly localized merchandising assortment could adversely affect our relationship with customers, our reputation, the demand for our products and services, and our market share.

We arehave been substantially increasing our investments to create the One Home Depot experience, including significant investments over the next several years to build the One Home Depot Supply Chain. These initiativesinvestments are designed to streamline our operations to allow our associates to continue to provide high-quality service to our customers; simplify customer interactions; provide our customers with a more interconnected retailshopping experience; and create the fastest, most efficient delivery network for home improvement products. Failure to choose the right investments and implement them in the right manner and at the right pace could disrupt our operations. TheCreating the One Home Depot initiative will requireexperience requires significant investment in our operations and information technology systems, as well as the development and execution of new processes, systems and support. Building One Supply Chain also involves

significant real estate projects as we expand our distribution network. If we are unable to effectively manage the volume, timing, nature and naturecost of these investments, projects and changes, our business operations and financial results could be materially and adversely affected. The cost and potential problems, defects of design, and interruptions associated with the implementation of these initiatives, including those associated with managing third-party service providers, employing new web-based tools and services, implementing new technology,technologies, implementing and restructuring support systems and processes, identifying appropriate facility locations, and addressing impacts on inventory levels, could disrupt or reduce the efficiency of our operations in the near term, lead to product availability issues, and impact profitability. Further, accomplishing these initiatives will require a substantial investment in additional information technology personnel and other specialized personnel. We may face significant competition in the market for these resources and may not be successful in our hiring efforts. profitability.

In addition, our store and interconnected retail initiatives,stores are a key element of the One Home Depot experience by serving as the hub of our customers’ interconnected shopping experience. We have an aging store base that requires maintenance, investment, and space reallocation initiatives to deliver the shopping experience that our customers desire. Our investments in our stores may not deliver the relevant shopping experience our customers expect or fully support an interconnected shopping experience. We must also maintain a safe store environment for our customers and associates, as well as to protect against loss or theft of our inventory (also called “shrink”). Higher rates of shrink, which we continue to experience, can require operational changes that may increase costs and impact the customer experience.

Creating the One Home Depot experience and building One Supply Chain and new or upgraded information technology systems might not provide the anticipated benefits, it might take longer than expected to complete these initiatives or realize the anticipated benefits, or thethese initiatives might fail altogether, each of which could adversely impact our competitive position and our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.

As part of our focus on product differentiation, we have formed strategic alliances and exclusive relationships with selected suppliers to market products under a variety of well-recognized brand names. We have also developed relationships with selected suppliers to allow us to market proprietary products that are comparable to national brands. Our proprietary products differentiate us from other retailers, generally carry higher margins than national brand products, and represent a growing portion of our business. If we are unable to manage and expand these alliances and relationships, maintain favorable terms with current suppliers, or identify alternative sources for comparable brand name and proprietary products, we may not be able to effectively execute product differentiation, which may impact our sales and gross margin results.

Product and service quality issues could negatively impact customer confidence in our brands and our Company. If our product and service offerings do not meet applicable safety standards or our customers’ expectations regarding safety or quality, we could experience lost sales and increased costs and be exposed to legal, financial and reputational risks, as well as governmental enforcement actions. Actual, potential or perceived product safety concerns, including health-related concerns, could expose us to litigation, as well as government enforcement actions, and result in costly product recalls and other liabilities. We seek but may not be successful in obtaining contractual indemnification and insurance coverage from our vendors.suppliers and service providers. If we do not have adequate contractual indemnification or insurance available, such claims could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Even with adequate insurance and indemnification, our reputation as a provider of high qualityhigh-quality products and services, including both national brand names and our proprietary products, could suffer, damaging our reputation and impacting customer loyalty. In addition, we and our customers have expectations around responsible sourcing. All of our vendors and service providerssuppliers must comply with our responsible sourcing standards, which cover a variety of expectations across multiple areas of social compliance, including supply chain transparency, sourceshealth and safety, environment, compensation, hours of supply,work, and prohibitions on child and forced labor. We have a responsible sourcing audit process, but we are also dependent on our vendors and service providerssuppliers to ensure that the products and services we provide comply with our standards.

As we expand our proprietary product offerings, in addition to other product-related risks discussed herein,in this section, we may become subject to increased risks due to our greater role in the design, manufacture, marketing and sale of those products. The risks include greater responsibility to administer and comply with applicable regulatory requirements, increased potential product liability and product recall exposure, and increased potential reputational risks related to the responsible sourcing of those products. To effectively execute on our product differentiation strategy, we must also be able to successfully protect our proprietary rights and successfully navigate and avoid claims related to the proprietary rights of third parties. In addition, an increase in sales of our proprietary products may adversely affect sales of our suppliers’ products, which in turn could adversely affect our relationships with certain of our suppliers. Any failure to appropriately address some or all of these risks could damage our reputation and have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Our financial performance depends significantly on the stability of the housing and home improvement markets, as well as general economic conditions, including changes in gross domestic product. Adverse conditions in or uncertainty about these markets, the economy or the political or social climate could adversely impact our customers’ confidence or financial condition, causing them to decide against purchasing home improvement products and services, causing them to delay purchasing decisions, or impacting their ability to pay for products and services. Other factors beyond our control – including unemployment and foreclosure rates; inventory loss due to theft; interest rate fluctuations; fuel and other energy costs; labor and healthcare costs; the availability of financing; the state of the credit markets, including mortgages, home equity loans and consumer credit; changes in tax rates and policy; weather; natural disasters; acts of terrorism or violence, including active shooter situations; public health issues, including pandemics and quarantines and related shut-downs, re-openings, or other actions by the government; civil unrest; and other conditions beyond our control – could further adversely affect demand for our products and services, our costs of doing business, and our financial performance. Further, our MRO customers, who have higher spend and longer-term relationships than a typical retail customer, primarily use trade credit to finance their purchases. As a result, their ability to pay is highly dependent on the economic strength of the industry in their area.

The above factors and uncertainties, or others of which we are not currently aware, may result in adverse impacts to our business, results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition. In addition to the factors above, the COVID-19 pandemic has subjected our business to a number of risks, including, but not limited to those discussed below:

To the extent the COVID-19 pandemic continues to adversely affect the U.S. and global economy and/or to adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows, or financial condition, and resultsit may also have the effect of operation, and we may not realize the anticipated benefits of these transactions.

We are subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations that govern numerous aspects of our business. In recent years, a number of new laws and regulations have been adopted, and there has been expanded enforcement of certain existing laws and regulations by federal, state and local agencies.agencies, and the interpretation of certain laws and regulations have become increasingly complex. These laws and regulations, and related interpretations and enforcement activity, may change as a result of a variety of factors, including political, economic or social events. Changes in, expanded enforcement of, or adoption of new federal, state or local laws and regulations governing minimum wage or living wage requirements; the classification of exempt and non-exempt

employees; the distinction between employees and contractors; other wage, labor or workplace regulations; healthcare; data protectionprivacy and cybersecurity; the sale, marketing and pricing of some of our products; transportation; logistics;transportation, logistics and interstate delivery operations, including Department of Transportation regulations on vehicles and drivers; international trade; supply chain transparency; taxes;taxes, including changes to corporate tax rates; unclaimed property; energy costs and consumption; or hazardous waste disposal and other environmental matters, including with respect to our installation services business, could increase our costs of doing business or impact our operations.

In fiscal 2017, Congress enacted the Tax Act, which significantly changeschanged how the U.S. taxes corporations. During fiscal 2018, additional guidance related to the Tax Act was issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the IRS. The Tax Act requires complex computations to be performed that were not previously required under U.S. tax law, significant judgments to be made in interpretation of the provisions of the Tax Act, significant estimates in calculations, and the preparation and analysis of information not previously relevant or regularly produced. TheSince the enactment of the Tax Act, additional guidance has been issued by the U.S.

Our ability to successfully conduct retail operations in, and source products and materials from, international markets is affected by many of the same risks we face in our U.S. operations, as well as unique costs and difficulties of managing international operations. Our international operations, including any expansion in international markets, may be adversely affected by local laws and customs, U.S. laws applicable to foreign operations and other foreign legal and regulatory constraints, as well as political, social and economic conditions. Risks inherent in international operations also include, among others, potential adverse tax consequences; international trade disputes, trade policy changes or potential tariffs and other import-related taxes and controls; greater difficulty in enforcing intellectual property rights; limitations on access to ports; risks associated with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and local anti-bribery law compliance; and challenges in our ability to identify and gain access to local suppliers. For example, there are growing concerns regarding trade relationstensions between the U.S. and China as both countries have indicated their intentionsled to imposea series of significant tariffs on the importation of certain product categories, as well as concerns related to the renegotiation of certain other trade agreements, including the North American Free Trade Agreement.categories. As a significant portion of our retail products are sourced, directly or indirectly, outside of the U.S., major changes in tax or trade policies, tariffs or trade relations could adversely impact the cost of, demand for, and profitability of retail product sales in our U.S. locations. Other countries may also change their business and trade policies in anticipation of or in response to increased import tariffs and other changes in U.S. trade policy and regulations. In addition, our operations in international markets create risk due to foreign currency exchange rates and fluctuations in those rates, which may adversely impact our sales and profitability.

Prices of certain commodity products, including lumber and other raw materials, are historically volatile and are subject to fluctuations arising from changes in domestic and international supply and demand, labor costs, competition, market speculation, government regulations, tariffs and trade restrictions, and periodic delays in delivery. Rapid and significant changes in commodity prices, such as changes in lumber prices, may affect the demand for our products, our sales and our profit margins.

We are predominantly self-insured for a number of different risk categories, such as general liability (including product liability), workers'workers’ compensation, employee group medical, automobile claims, and network security and privacy liability, with insurance coverage for certain catastrophic risks. The types and amounts of insurance may vary from time to time based on our decisions with respect to risk retention and regulatory requirements. The occurrence of significant claims, a substantial rise in costs to maintain our insurance, or the failure to maintain adequate insurance coverage could have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

GAAP and related accounting pronouncements, implementation guidelines and interpretations with regard to a wide range of matters that are relevant to our business, such as revenue recognition, asset impairment, impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets, inventories, lease obligations, self-insurance, vendor allowances, tax matters, business combinations, and litigation, are complex and involve many subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments. Changes in accounting standards or their interpretation or

changes in underlying assumptions, estimates or judgments, including due to uncertainty in the current environment resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, could significantly change our reported or expected financial performance or financial condition. The implementation of new accounting standards could also require certain systems, internal process, internal control, and other changes that could increase our operating costs.

SEC regulations require us to disclose certain information about proceedings arising under federal, state or local environmental regulations if we reasonably believe that such proceedings may result in monetary sanctions above a stated threshold. Pursuant to SEC regulations, the Company uses a threshold of $100,000 or more.$1 million for purposes of determining whether disclosure of any such proceedings is required.

services business and the payment of a penalty of $20.75 million, and filed the decree with the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia for approval. The consent decree resolves the allegations on a nationwide basis, and we anticipate court approval of the consent decree in the first half of fiscal 2021. In addition, as previously reported in the third quarter of fiscal 2020, we were informed by the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia that we have sold denatured alcohol since 2015 in a manner thatthe government is not compliant withdeclining to pursue criminal charges related to the investigation of our lead-safe work practices.

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

Since April 19, 1984, our common stock has been listed on the NYSE, trading under the symbol "HD".“HD.” We paid our first cash dividend on June 22, 1987 and have paid a cash dividend during each subsequent quarter. While we currently expect a cash dividend to be paid in the future, future dividend payments will depend on our earnings, capital requirements, financial condition, and other factors considered relevant by our Board of Directors.

At March 8, 2019,5, 2021, there were approximately 110,000116,000 holders of record of our common stock and approximately 2,561,0003,735,000 additional "street name"“street name” holders whose shares are held of record by banks, brokers, and other financial institutions.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018,2020, we issued 530435 deferred stock units under the Home Depot, Inc. Nonemployee Directors’ Deferred Stock Compensation Plan pursuant to the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506 of the SEC’s Regulation D thereunder. The deferred stock units were credited to the accounts of those non-employee directors who elected to receive all or a portion of board retainers in the form of deferred stock units instead of cash during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018.2020. The deferred stock units convert to shares of common stock on a one-for-one basis following a termination of service as described in this plan.

Our MD&A includes the following sections:

Total comparable sales increased 5.2%19.7% in fiscal 2018.2020, reflecting a 10.5% increase in comparable average ticket and an 8.6% increase in comparable customer transactions. The increase in comparable sales reflected a number of factors, including increased consumer demand across our core categories and the execution of our strategic efforts to drive an enhanced interconnected experience in both the physical and digital worlds. All of our merchandising departments posted positive comparable sales in fiscal 2018 except for Lighting, which was negative primarily due to LED price deflation. For fiscal 2018, comparable sales for our Appliances, Tools, Electrical, Décor, Plumbing, Lumber, and Indoor Garden merchandising departments were above the Company average. Our comparable average ticket increased 4.2% in fiscal 2018 while comparable customer transactions increased 1.0% during fiscal 2018. The increase in comparable average ticket was due in large part to strong sales in big ticket purchases in certain categories, such as appliances and vinyl plank flooring.