May 20 (Reuters) - Home Depot ( HD ) beat Wall Street

estimates for first-quarter sales on Tuesday as the world's

largest home improvement retailer enjoyed resilient demand from

professional contractors and small-scale repair works by

existing homeowners.

The Atlanta-based retailer has benefited from demand for

tools used in do-it-yourself house projects, repair and

maintenance ahead of the spring season, even as budget

constraints weighed on larger home renovation activities.

Home Depot ( HD ) has also capitalized on demand from its

professional customer base, including contractors, by increasing

investment in its supply chain after acquiring Texas-based SRS

Distribution last year.

The retail chain kept its fiscal year 2025 forecast

unchanged, with a total sales growth target of 2.8%. Shares of

the company were up about 2% in premarket trading.

"....We saw continued customer engagement across smaller

projects and in our spring events," CEO Ted Decker said in a

statement.

The company posted net sales of $39.86 billion for the

quarter ended May 4, a 9% jump from last year. Analysts on

average had expected an 8% rise to $39.31 billion, according to

data compiled by LSEG.

(Reporting by Savyata Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika

Syamnath)