New York, January 8, 2026, 20:08 EST — Market closed
Shares of The Home Depot, Inc. (HD) climbed roughly 3% on Thursday, closing near $359.56 in U.S. after-hours trading after swinging between $344.66 and $363.90. The stock stood out as one of the top point contributors to the Dow, which favors higher-priced shares. 1
The move thrust the home-improvement bellwether back into the spotlight as investors eyed a new White House push on housing costs. President Donald Trump said he was directing his “representatives” to buy $200 billion in mortgage bonds — bundles of home loans sold to investors — to “drive Mortgage Rates DOWN.” Housing finance chief Bill Pulte added that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would handle the purchase; filings reveal the two firms had under $17 billion in cash as of Sept. 30. 2
Why it matters now: rate expectations are jittery ahead of Friday’s U.S. nonfarm payrolls report for December, a crucial indicator for the economic outlook and borrowing costs. Weekly jobless claims ticked up slightly last week. Investors have been hanging on every major data point, especially after a prolonged government shutdown stalled economic releases. 3
Home-related stocks followed a similar path. Lowe’s rose 3.7% to $256.21, and Sherwin-Williams added roughly 2.9%, reaching $341.03.
Home Depot has been pushing the idea that a thaw in housing will kickstart big-ticket home improvement spending, following a slowdown in do-it-yourself demand. At its December investor conference, the company projected fiscal 2026 comparable sales growth between flat and 2%, and said adjusted EPS could rise anywhere from flat to 4%. CFO Richard McPhail said bluntly, “the pressures in housing will correct.” 4
Despite Thursday’s rebound, the stock remains far from last year’s peak. Home Depot closed Tuesday at $349.29, roughly 18% shy of its 52-week high at $426.75, according to market data. 5
Housing policy has become a key factor shaping the market each day. Just one day ago, Trump warned he might bar Wall Street firms from snapping up single-family homes. That move rattled some landlord stocks and weighed on homebuilder shares. 6
But the upside scenario involves many variables. Richard Green, director of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, told Business Insider the $200 billion bond-buying plan was “a gesture,” cautioning that lower mortgage rates could push home prices higher if supply remains limited.
Home Depot is gearing up for its next major event: the fourth-quarter earnings report due on Feb. 24 at 9 a.m. ET. Investors will be watching closely for any shifts in its 2026 outlook and clues that demand for big-ticket items might be picking up. 7
