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use Home Depot and focused on the assignments, Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness and External and Internal Environments. Research the company on its own website, the public filings on the Securities and Exchange Commission's Filing & Forms page, the annual report will often provide insights that can help address some of these questions. Use the Business-Level and Corporate-Level Strategies Template [DOCX] (attach) to ensure that the assignment meets the requirements. Requirements   Analyze the business-level strategies for the corporation you chose to determine the business-level strategy you think is most important to the long-term success of the firm and whether or not you judge this to be a good choice. Justify your opinion. Analyze the corporate-level strategies for the corporation you chose to determine the corporate-level strategy you think is most important to the long-term success of the firm and whether or not you judge this to be a good choice. Justify your opinion. Analyze the competitive environment to determine the corporation's most significant competitor. Compare their strategies at each level and evaluate which company you think is most likely to be successful in the long term. Justify your choice. Determine whether your choice from Question 3 in the Business-Level and Corporate-Level Strategies Template [DOCX] would differ in slow-cycle and fast-cycle markets. Use at least three quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other websites do not qualify as academic resources. 1 Figures title: 7 Week 8 Business-Level and Corporate-Level Strategies Assignment Student’s Full Name BUS499 Business Administration Capstone Professor’s Name Date Template Instructions (delete this page before submitting) This template is provided to help you meet the assignment requirements. This page should NOT be submitted with your assignment, as it is not part of an academically written paper. Note the “Clarity, writing mechanics, and formatting requirements” section of the grading rubric. HOW TO USE THIS TEMPLATE · Read the explanations provided in the template for each section of your paper. · The explanations are in blue font below. · You should have already read the assignment instructions in Blackboard. · Type your response to each of the assignment requirements within the designated sections. · Each assignment requirement is identified using a section Heading that is in black font · DO NOT add extra spaces between sections. · DO NOT change the margins. · You are required to have a heading for each of the sections in your paper. · The required headings have been provided for you. · DO NOT delete, alter, or add anything to the section Headings. · DO NOT type the assignment instructions into the sections. · After typing your responses, change the font color to black and make sure it is not in bold. · Be sure to change the font color on the title page to black after typing your name, professor’s name, and date. · Everything in blue font below should be deleted and replaced with your responses. · DELETE this entire page before you submit your assignment to avoid losing points. Do not leave a blank page here. REMINDERS · The assignment is due in week 8. Late submissions negatively impact your grade. · Use the same public corporation you used for assignments in Week 3 and 6. · Do not copy content from previous assignments in this class or others. · Include at least 6 full and complete academically written pages that address the requirements. The title page, this instruction page, and the source page do not count. · Use at least 3 quality sources, one of which MUST be the course textbook. Week 8 Business-Level and Corporate-Level Strategies Assignment Write your introduction to this 6 page paper here. Include one paragraph (not more than 6 lines of text) that explains what your paper will discuss. Much of your introduction may be taken from the assignment instructions (in your own words). Read all assignment resources to understand what should be included in your paper. Be sure to review the assignment instructions in Blackboard, the grading rubric, and relevant course announcements to understand the requirements. Do not exceed 6 lines of text in this introduction. There should be no direct quotes in this section. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your introduction and change the font color to black. Business-Level Strategies Analyze the business-level strategies for the corporation you chose to determine the business-level strategy you think is most important to the long-term success of the firm. You will also need to determine whether or not you judge this to be a good choice (Note: in this step you need to choose and write about only one business-level strategy from the text book (not Google). Hint: See Figure 4.1 in the textbook. Include a thorough justification for your choice that is backed by facts and sound judgement. For background, be sure to research and explain the industry in which your selected corporation operates. You could also briefly (1 – 2 sentences) define the business-level strategy (cite your sources) you are writing about using the textbook/Learn, as an introduction to your analysis. Read Chapter 4 in the course textbook. Review the Week 4 Learn Reading for supporting content. Your response here should demonstrate that you understand the key concepts regarding the selected business-level strategy and can apply them to a real-world corporation. Keep in mind that this is a 6 page paper and as such your analysis should thoroughly address the concepts discussed in the course. Avoid unsubstantiated statements, extended introductory commentary, direct quotes, and unrelated content. Strive for about 1 ½ to 2 pages of well-constructed, in-depth analysis in this section. In this section, you could research and identify the core competencies your chosen firm uses to implement its business-level strategies and discuss their effectiveness. You could also demonstrate from your research how the firm uses its core competencies to create and sell its products in the marketplace. Consider the actions & choices your firm has made to compete in individual product markets. Review Chapters 4-9 for specifics on the business-level strategies. Your response should clearly identify the one business-level strategy from the textbook that you think is most important to the long-term success of the corporation. Your response must also include a clearly stated and justified judgement on whether that strategy is a good choice. Include enough content and depth to demonstrate a thorough analysis of your selected corporation’s business-level strategy. Remember that this is a 6 page paper and as such, you will need to dig deep. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your analysis and change the font color to black. Corporate-Level Strategies Analyze the corporate-level strategies for the corporation you chose to determine the corporate-level strategy you think is most important to the long-term success of the firm. You will also need to determine whether or not you judge this to be a good choice. (Note: in this step you need to choose and write about only one corporate-level strategy from the text book (not Google). Hint: See chapter 6 in the textbook. Include a thorough justification for your choice that is backed by facts and sound judgement. You could also briefly (1 – 2 sentences) define the corporate-level strategy (cite your sources) you are writing about using the textbook/Learn, as an introduction to your analysis. Read Chapter 6 in the course textbook. Review the Week 6 Learn Reading for supporting content. Your response here should demonstrate that you understand the key concepts regarding the selected corporate-level strategy and can apply them to a real-world corporation. Keep in mind that this is a 6-page paper and as such your analysis should thoroughly address the concepts discussed in the course. Avoid unsubstantiated statements, extended introductory commentary, direct quotes, and unrelated content. Strive for about 1 ½ to 2 pages of well-constructed, in-depth analysis in this section. Your response should clearly identify the one corporate-level strategy from the textbook that you think is most important to the long-term success of the corporation. Your response must also include a clearly stated and justified judgement on whether that strategy is a good choice. Include enough content and depth to demonstrate a thorough analysis of your selected corporation’s corporate-level strategy. Remember that this is a 6 page paper and as such, you will need to dig deep. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your analysis and change the font color to black. Competitive Environment Analyze the competitive environment to determine the corporation's most significant competitor (this will require research outside of the course material). Compare their strategies at each level and evaluate which company you think is most likely to be successful in the long term. Justify your choice. Hint: read chapters 1 through 10 in the course textbook as they provide a solid background for this section. Review the Week 1 through 8 Learn readings for supporting content. Remember that this is a 6 page paper and requires a thorough competitive analysis. Strive for about a 1 ½ to 2 pages of well-constructed, in-depth analysis in this section. Cite your sources and avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your analysis and change the font color to black. Market Cycles Determine whether your choice from Question 3 (Competitive Environment section above) would differ in slow-cycle and fast-cycle markets. It would be a good idea to briefly explain what the slow-cycle and fast-cycle markets are from the textbook (cite your sources) as a short introduction to your determination. Hint: read Chapter 5 in the course textbook. Remember that this is a 6-page paper and therefore each section requires a thorough response that demonstrates your understanding of key concepts covered in the course and your ability to apply them to a real-world corporation. Cite your sources and avoid the use of direct quotes. After reading these instructions, replace this blue text with your response and change the font color to black. Sources 1. Hitt, Ireland, & Hoskisson. 2020. Strategic management: Concepts and cases: Competitiveness and globalization (13th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning 2. Author. Publication Date. Title. Page # (written as p. #). How to Find (e.g. web address) 3. Author. Publication Date. Title. Page # (written as p. #). How to Find (e.g. web address) UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 FORM 8-K CURRENT REPORT Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported): December 24, 2020 THE HOME DEPOT, INC. (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter) Delaware 1-8207 95-3261426 (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer Identification No.) 2455 Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30339 (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code) (770) 433-8211 (Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code) Not Applicable (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report) Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2 below): ☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) ☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) ☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) ☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered Common Stock, $0.05 Par Value Per Share HD New York Stock Exchange Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter). Emerging growth company ☐ If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐ Item 2.01. Completion of Acquisition or Disposition of Assets. On December 24, 2020, The Home Depot, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), completed the previously announced acquisition of HD Supply Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“HD Supply”), pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”), dated as of November 15, 2020, by and among the Company, Coronado Acquisition Sub Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“Merger Sub”), and HD Supply. As previously disclosed, pursuant to the Merger Agreement and upon the terms and subject to the conditions thereof, on November 24, 2020, Merger Sub commenced a tender offer (the “Offer”) to purchase all of the outstanding shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Shares”), of HD Supply at a price of $56.00 per Share (the “Offer Price”), net to the seller in cash, without interest, subject to any required withholding of taxes. The Offer expired at 12:00 midnight, New York City time, at the end of the day on Wednesday, December 23, 2020 (the “Expiration Time”). The depositary agent for the Offer has advised the Company that, as of the Expiration Time, a total of 127,928,897 Shares had been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn in the Offer, representing approximately 82.9% of the outstanding Shares. The number of Shares validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Offer satisfied the condition to the Offer that there be validly tendered and not validly withdrawn prior to the expiration of the Offer a number of Shares that, together with all other Shares (if any) beneficially owned by the Company and its affiliates, represent a majority of the Shares outstanding at the expiration of the Offer (determined on a fully diluted basis (which assumes conversion or exercise of all derivative securities regardless of the conversion or exercise price, the vesting schedule or other terms and conditions thereof)). All conditions to the Offer having been satisfied or waived, the Company and Merger Sub accepted for payment all Shares validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Offer. On December 24, 2020, in accordance with the Merger Agreement and Section 251(h) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, Merger Sub merged with and into HD Supply (the “Merger”), and HD Supply survived the Merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. At the effective time of the Merger (the “Effective Time”), each Share that was issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (other than Shares owned by the Company, Merger Sub or HD Supply, or by any of their respective direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries, and Shares held by stockholders of HD Supply who were entitled to demand and who had properly and validly demanded their statutory rights of appraisal and had neither withdrawn nor lost such rights prior to the Effective Time) was converted into the right to receive the Offer Price, net to the holder thereof, in cash, without interest thereon. The foregoing description of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby as set forth in this Item 2.01 does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, the full text of the Merger Agreement, a copy of which was filed as Exhibit 2.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on November 18, 2020 and which is incorporated herein by reference. Item 8.01. Other Events. On December 24, 2020, the Company issued a press release announcing the completion of the acquisition of HD Supply, a copy of which is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference herein. Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits. Exhibit Description 2.1 Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of November 15, 2020, by and among The Home Depot, Inc., Coronado Acquisition Sub Inc. and HD Supply Holdings, Inc (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by The Home Depot, Inc. with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on November 18, 2020).* 99.1 Press Release of The Home Depot, Inc. 104 The cover page from this Current Report on Form 8-K formatted in Inline XBRL (included as Exhibit 101). * Schedules and exhibits have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K. The Company will furnish the omitted schedules and exhibits to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request. 2 https://content.edgar-online.com/ExternalLink/EDGAR/0001193125-20-296960.html?hash=eb77fe534045c69aca168d5779d7f07ffdac2d37f95d1a3523c2289f47dd44f2&dest=D28049DEX21_HTM https://content.edgar-online.com/ExternalLink/EDGAR/0001193125-20-296960.html?hash=eb77fe534045c69aca168d5779d7f07ffdac2d37f95d1a3523c2289f47dd44f2&dest=D28049DEX21_HTM https://content.edgar-online.com/ExternalLink/EDGAR/0001193125-20-296960.html?hash=eb77fe534045c69aca168d5779d7f07ffdac2d37f95d1a3523c2289f47dd44f2&dest=D28049DEX21_HTM SIGNATURE Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized. THE HOME DEPOT, INC. Date: December 28, 2020 By: /s/ Richard V. McPhail Name: Richard V. McPhail Title: Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer 3 Exhibit 99.1 THE HOME DEPOT COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF HD SUPPLY Dec 24, 2020 ATLANTA, Dec. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The Home Depot®, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, has completed the acquisition of HD Supply Holdings, Inc., for a total enterprise value (including net cash) of approximately $8 billion. HD Supply is a leading national distributor of maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products in the multifamily and hospitality end markets. The agreement to acquire HD Supply was announced on November 16, 2020. “We’re thrilled to welcome HD Supply associates to The Home Depot,” said Craig Menear, chairman and CEO of The Home Depot. “The combination of the two businesses will enable us to better serve both existing and new MRO customers, and I look forward to the value this acquisition will bring to our associates, customers and shareholders.” 1/4 The acquisition of HD Supply is expected to position The Home Depot as a premier provider in a highly fragmented MRO marketplace, which the company estimates to be approximately $55 billion. HD Supply complements The Home Depot’s existing MRO business with a robust product offering and value-added service capabilities, an experienced salesforce, and an extensive, MRO-specific distribution network throughout the U.S. and Canada. The tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of HD Supply expired at midnight, New York City time, at the end of the day on December 23, 2020. American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, the depository and paying agent for the tender offer, advised The Home Depot that as of the tender offer expiration, a total of 127,928,897 shares had been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn, representing approximately 82.9% of the outstanding shares. All of the conditions of the offer have been satisfied and The Home Depot and its subsidiary Coronado Acquisition Sub Inc. have accepted for payment for $56 per share in cash, without interest, subject to any required withholding taxes, all shares validly tendered and not validly withdrawn and will promptly pay for all such shares. Following its acceptance of the tendered shares, The Home Depot completed the acquisition of HD Supply through a merger of Coronado Acquisition Sub Inc. with and into HD Supply. As a result of the merger, HD Supply became a wholly owned subsidiary of The Home Depot. In connection with the merger, all HD Supply shares not validly tendered (other than shares held by The Home Depot, Coronado Acquisition Sub Inc., HD Supply or any of their respective direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries and shares held by stockholders of HD Supply who have perfected their statutory appraisal rights) have been cancelled and converted into the right to receive the same $56 in cash (without interest and subject to any required withholding taxes) as will be paid for all HD Supply shares that were validly tendered and not validly withdrawn. About The Home Depot The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,295 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. In fiscal 2019, The Home Depot had sales of $110.2 billion and earnings of $11.2 billion. The Company employs more than 400,000 associates. The Home Depot’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor’s 500 index. 2/4 About HD Supply HD Supply is one of the largest wholesale distributors in North America. The company provides a broad range of products and value-add services to approximately 300,000 customers with leadership positions in the living space maintenance, repair and operations sector. Through approximately 44 distribution centers, across 25 states and two Canadian provinces, the company’s approximately 5,500 associates provide localized, customer-tailored products, services and expertise. For more information, visit www.hdsupply.com. Certain statements contained herein constitute “forward-looking statements” as defined in the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements may relate to, among other things, the acquisition of HD Supply that involves substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements (the “acquisition”); statements about the potential benefits of the acquisition; HD Supply’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions; risks related to the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition, including the possibility that the expected benefits from the transaction will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period; the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully; disruption from the acquisition making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; negative effects of the consummation of the acquisition on the market price of our common stock, credit ratings or operating results; significant costs associated with the acquisition; unknown liabilities; the impact on our business, operations and financial results of the COVID-19 pandemic (which, among other things, may affect many of the items listed below); the demand for our products and services; net sales growth; comparable sales; effects of competition; implementation of store, interconnected retail, supply chain and technology initiatives; inventory and in-stock positions; state of the economy; state of the housing and home improvement markets; state of the credit markets, including mortgages, home equity loans and consumer credit; impact of tariffs; issues related to the payment methods we accept; demand for credit offerings; management of relationships with our associates, suppliers and vendors; international trade disputes, natural disasters, public health issues (including pandemics and related quarantines, shelter-in-place and other governmental orders, and similar restrictions), and other business interruptions that could disrupt supply or delivery of, or demand for, the Company’s products or services; continuation of share repurchase programs; net earnings performance; earnings per share; dividend targets; capital allocation and expenditures; liquidity; return on invested capital; expense leverage; stock-based compensation expense; commodity price inflation and deflation; the ability to issue debt on terms and at rates acceptable to us; the 3/4 impact and expected outcome of investigations, inquiries, claims and litigation; the effect of accounting charges; the effect of adopting certain accounting standards; the impact of regulatory changes; store openings and closures; guidance for fiscal 2020 and beyond; financial outlook; and the integration of acquired companies into our organization and the ability to recognize the anticipated synergies and benefits of those acquisitions. Forward-looking statements are based on currently available information and our current assumptions, expectations and projections about future events. You should not rely on our forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to future events, risks and uncertainties – many of which are beyond our control, dependent on the actions of third parties, or are currently unknown to us – as well as potentially inaccurate assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations and projections. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those described in Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” and elsewhere in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year ended February 2, 2020 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended November 1, 2020. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake to update these statements other than as required by law. You are advised, however, to review any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 4/4