NEW YORK (Reuters) - Top home-improvement chain Home Depot Inc reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit, boosted by demand for gardening products and energy-efficient appliances.
The news came a day after rival Lowe's Cos
Home Depot's net income rose to $725 million, or 43 cents a share, in the first quarter ended on May 2 from $514 million, or 30 cents a share, a year earlier.
Excluding items, the profit was 45 cents a share, beating the analysts' average forecast of 40 cents.
Sales rose 4.3 percent to $16.86 billion, exceeding Wall Street expectations of $16.37 billion.
(Reporting by Dhanya Skariachan; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
