NEW YORK AP – The Home Depot Inc., the nation’s largest home improvement retailer, reported a 24 percent drop in second-quarter profit on Tuesday and reiterated its downbeat outlook for the year amid a weak housing market that shows no signs of recovery.

The Atlanta-based company said net income fell to $1.2 billion, or 71 cents per share, in the three months ended Aug. 3, from $1.59 billion, or 81 cents per share, a year earlier.