New York (Standard&Poor's) Aug. 19, 2014--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services said today that its ratings on Home Depot Inc., including the 'A' corporate credit rating and stable outlook, are unaffected by company's second quarter earnings announced today and updated fiscal 2014 guidance. Home Depot reported same-store sales comparisons of about 6% for the second quarter of 2014, benefiting from a good spring season, positive results from its store initiatives, and the housing market recovery. U.S. housing market data for July were strong, with housing starts up 15.7% year-over-year. These results support our ratings and outlook on the company. Results from durable goods retailers have tended to be more robust than for sellers of small ticket discretionary items or
