Home Depot credited a recovering housing market for its $947 million third-quarter net gain, up 1.3% from a year earlier, as sales rose 4.6% to $18.1 billion. In a call with analysts Tuesday, company officials acknowledged a $70 million increase in revenues during the last week of the quarter ending Oct. 28, driven by sales of products such as batteries, extension cords, and generators in the Northeast as locals geared up for Hurricane Sandy. Officials said the company so far has shipped 4,000 truckloads of material to affected areas and, reports Bloomberg, they expect the storm's total impact to be on par with Hurricane Irene's $360 million sales boost but were reluctant to speculate on how storm-related sales would affect fourth-quarter revenue estimates due to an uncertain timeline for the eventual rebuilding process. 


The uptick in sales bodes well for both the consumer and pro segment, with the latter experiencing less-significant growth thanks to strong roofing buys a year earlier, said Craig Menear, executive vice president of merchandising. "The pro is recovering but it’s not yet at a point where it’s surpassing the recovery of the consumer," he said, with larger pros, who account for 13% of sales, rebounding more quickly.