New York, Feb 14, 2026, 18:08 EST — The closing bell has sounded.
- Home Depot ended Friday up 0.2%, finishing at $391.05 a share.
- Presidents Day closes U.S. markets Monday, packing what’s expected to be a busy week into just four trading sessions.
- Eyes turn to Fed minutes out Wednesday, with traders also bracing for U.S. GDP and inflation prints Friday—just before Home Depot reports Feb. 24.
Home Depot (HD.N) finished Friday at $391.05, up 0.2%. Trading was subdued with the long weekend on deck.
With U.S. stock markets shut down Monday for Presidents Day, trading picks up again Tuesday. The shorter week means less time for key macro data to hit, and that can exaggerate price swings once activity resumes.
Friday’s got a double dose lined up: the advance Q4 GDP estimate hits alongside the personal income and outlays release, with the closely-watched PCE price index tucked in. That PCE figure, of course, is the Fed’s preferred inflation yardstick.
The Fed will release the minutes from its Jan. 27-28 meeting this Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET. Investors comb these detailed records from the rate-setting session for hints on when policymakers could move to cut rates again.
The University of Michigan releases its final read on February consumer sentiment Friday, set for 10 a.m. ET. Consumer mood is back in focus.
Risk sentiment has been anything but steady, with investors wrestling to gauge just how fast new AI tools might upend profits in various industries. “It’s all this whack-a-mole game,” said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B Riley Wealth, earlier this week. Reuters
Retail’s in focus as the check-in on demand rolls out. Walmart numbers arrive Thursday; Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Target will follow in the next few weeks—a run that could shake up expectations for U.S. household spending.
Lowe’s disclosed Friday it will cut around 600 corporate and support positions, describing the cuts as part of a pivot to focus more on its stores. “Better align our resources to stores and staff,” a spokesperson said in a statement. Investing.com
Home Depot will report fourth-quarter and full-year earnings on Feb. 24, with the call set for 9 a.m. ET, the company’s investor calendar shows. What executives say about pro contractor demand and big-ticket renovation jobs is likely to get attention—small changes there can sway sales numbers for the quarter.
The route to that report isn’t straightforward. Should Friday’s inflation and growth figures print strong—or if the Fed minutes signal more hesitancy about cutting—rate bets might flip again. That tends to squeeze retailers tied to housing.
Trading picks back up Tuesday, and Home Depot lands squarely among the big retail bellwethers riding this macro stretch. Next key date for the stock: Feb. 24.
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