Dive Brief:

• Home Depot reported strong second quarter earnings Tuesday, with a 14% rise in fiscal profit during the quarter. 
• Profit was $2.05 billion for the most recent quarter, up from $1.8 billion a year earlier. 
• The home improvement retailer also saw a 6.4% jump in U.S. same-store sales, and raised its full-year earnings forecast in response to the news. 

Dive Insight:

While some companies are still struggling to inspire consumer spending during the so-called "retail funk," home improvement retailers are benefiting from an upswing in U.S. homebuilders' confidence in the housing market, now at a seven-month high. Look for Home Depot's competitor Lowe's reports on Wednesday.