HOME DEPOT INC

We reported net sales of $152.7 billion in fiscal 2023. Net earnings were $15.1 billion, or $15.11 per diluted share. During fiscal 2023, we opened eight new stores in the U.S. and five new stores in Mexico, resulting in a total store count of 2,335 at January 28, 2024. At the end of fiscal 2023, a total of 320 of our stores, or 13.7% of our total store count, were located in Canada and Mexico. Total sales per retail square foot were $604.55 in fiscal 2023. Our inventory turnover ratio was 4.3 times at the end of fiscal 2023, compared to 4.2 times at the end of fiscal 2022.

We generated $21.2 billion of cash flow from operations and issued $2.0 billion of long-term debt, net of discounts, during fiscal 2023. This cash flow, together with cash on hand, was used to fund cash payments of $8.4 billion for dividends and $8.0 billion for share repurchases. In addition, we invested $3.2 billion in capital expenditures and $1.5 billion in acquisitions, and we repaid $1.3 billion of long-term debt during fiscal 2023. In February 2024, we announced a 7.7% increase in our quarterly cash dividend to $2.25 per share.

Our ROIC was 36.7% for fiscal 2023 and 44.6% for fiscal 2022. The decrease in ROIC was primarily driven by lower operating income along with an increase in average long-term debt over the respective periods. See the Non-GAAP Financial Measures section below for our definition and calculation of ROIC, as well as a reconciliation of NOPAT, a non-GAAP financial measure, to net earnings (the most comparable GAAP financial measure).