Home Depot (HD) won’t start charging customers to park at its stores, despite what that viral story posted on social media claims. A story posted on April 1 claimed this would be the case, but it was simply an April Fool’s Day prank originally posted by the website Pro Tool Reviews.
The April Fool’s Day trick said that Home Depot would add parking prices in an effort to combat inflation. While it’s true that retailers around the U.S. have bumped up prices to deal with inflation, as well as reduce the damage from President Trump’s trade war to their bottom lines, charging for parking isn’t in the books.
The Home Depot parking pricing prank was able to spread as far as it did because Pro Tool Reviews is a legitimate website that offers coverage and insight on tools. This added credibility to the Home Depot post, despite a link to a press release at the bottom of the article sending users to an April Fool’s Day page.
Home Depot Stock Movement Today
What isn’t a joke is Home Depot’s stock movement today. The home improvement company’s shares have increased 1.36% as of this writing. That’s a welcome change from the 4.21% dip the stock has experienced year-to-date. Like many retailers, President Trump’s tariffs and trade war have caused volatility for its stock. The President is set to announce additional tariffs later today as part of his Liberation Day.
Is HD Stock a Buy, Sell, or Hold?
Turning to Wall Street, the analysts’ consensus estimate is Moderate Buy based on 19 Buy, five Hold, and one Sell ratings over the last three months. With that comes an average price target of $441.95, a high of $500, and a low of $410. This represents a potential 19.3% upside for HD stock.
