NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- No. 1 U.S. home-improvement retailer Home Depot Inc. said Tuesday that its first-quarter profit rose 41%, helped by improved demand for appliances and other bigger-ticket items.

Net income rose to $725 million, or 43 cents a share, from $514 million, or 30 cents a share, the Atlanta-based company said.
Sales rose 4.3% to $16.86 billion in the quarter ending May 2, with comparable-store sales up 4.8%.
Excluding one-time items, Home Depot said it would have earned 45 cents a share, a rise of 29%.
The results made Home Depot more optimistic for the year, as it's expecting to earn $1.88 a share on sales growth of 3.5%.
Analysts had expected earnings of $1.86 on sales growth of 2.9%, and the company had previously guided for annual earnings of $1.79.
Home Depot has benefited from consumers' willingness to open their wallets for riding mowers, carpet installations and other discretionary projects beyond basic maintenance and repair, analysts said.
The company also has likely seen a boost from warmer weather that boosted demand for landscaping and other outdoor merchandise.