New York, Feb 10, 2026, 14:13 EST — Regular session.
- Home Depot shares climbed roughly 2.6% in afternoon action, leaving the broader market in the dust, which stayed flat.
- Soft U.S. retail sales data pushed investors into consumer stocks and select Dow names.
- Investors are eyeing Home Depot’s upcoming earnings report and guidance, due out later this month, as the next major catalyst.
Home Depot (HD) climbed 2.6% to $390.84 Tuesday afternoon, with shares earlier hitting a session peak of $391.65. Lowe’s also pushed higher, up 2.9% at $284.84. Over in the broader market, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF edged down 0.1%.
Why does it matter? Home Depot often gives an early read on U.S. home-improvement demand—closely tied to housing turnover and interest rates. Investors are still debating if hefty renovation spending is finding its footing or simply pausing for now.
Markets worked through a flat U.S. retail sales report for December on Tuesday—numbers held steady, missing the 0.4% gain economists had penciled in. That left investors bracing for a raft of data set to drop this week. Allianz Investment Management’s Charlie Ripley called the retail shortfall a sign the economy “wasn’t as strong as people expected.” Over at Logan Capital, Bill Fitzpatrick described money shifting beyond expensive tech stocks, toward “a wider set of opportunities.” With payrolls data delayed and fresh inflation figures coming, traders stayed alert. 1
Home Depot’s fortunes remain tied to the housing market. When home sales slow, remodels drop off, big-ticket projects get put on hold, and the DIY crowd isn’t rushing to buy supplies either.
During its December investor day, Home Depot projected fiscal 2026 comparable sales would range from flat to a 2% increase, with adjusted earnings per share pacing flat to up 4%. Finance chief Richard McPhail noted that customers remained uncertain, adding the company still hadn’t observed any clear trigger or turnaround in housing activity. TD Cowen analysts described those targets as “a reasonable starting point.” 2
The company’s moves haven’t stopped at the store level. In late January, Home Depot revealed plans to eliminate 800 positions at its Atlanta store support center and told corporate staffers to return to the office full-time—five days a week. The stated goal: “drive greater agility” and keep corporate closer to the ground. 3
Next up for investors: management’s take on professional demand compared to the DIY crowd, and any signals that higher-priced categories are starting to move. Typically, it’s the guidance that carries the stock.
Still, the risk lingers. Should housing remain uneven and shoppers pull back heading into spring, project demand could take another hit, putting sales growth under strain. Any hint of caution about 2026 would challenge Tuesday’s rally.
Home Depot plans to post its fourth-quarter and full-year numbers on Feb. 24, with an earnings call set for 9 a.m. ET. That’s the next event marked on the calendar for the stock. 4
