New York, Jan 30, 2026, 14:43 EST — Regular session
- Home Depot shares climbed roughly 0.5% by mid-afternoon, outperforming the softer broader market.
- Investors are still digesting the company’s plan to cut 800 corporate jobs alongside its return-to-office mandate.
- Up next: U.S. jobs and inflation figures, followed by Home Depot’s quarterly earnings report.
Home Depot shares edged up 0.5% to close at $373.61 on Friday, defying a wider market slump that dragged most major indexes down. The stock fluctuated between $368.59 and $374.33 during the session.
Home Depot’s outperformance is crucial since it rides the wave of the housing cycle. Renovation plans often shift rapidly when interest rates change.
This week’s corporate shake-up sent a clear message. Investors are hunting for signs of leaner costs and quicker decision-making amid uneven demand.
Home Depot informed employees earlier this week it plans to cut roughly 800 jobs at its Atlanta store support center and is mandating corporate staff to return to the office full-time starting the week of April 6, according to WABE. CEO Ted Decker said the move is designed to “increase our speed and agility.” (WABE)
The company announced it will provide separation packages, transitional benefits, and job placement assistance for affected staff. Its statement emphasized a push to “drive greater agility,” coinciding with management’s caution about a sharper profit decline in fiscal 2025 amid uneven housing demand. (Reuters)
Macro data weighed on sentiment. The U.S. Department of Labor reported the Producer Price Index (PPI) climbed 0.5% in December, surpassing forecasts. Services led the largest monthly increase in five months. Economist Carl Weinberg of High Frequency Economics said the figures “validate the pivot of the Fed away from labor market risks back toward price stability.” (Reuters)
St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem weighed in, calling the current policy rate neutral and signaling no need for additional cuts unless the labor market falters or inflation drops. “Unadvisable to lower the rate into accommodative territory,” he said in prepared remarks for a University of Arkansas event. (Reuters)
Shares tied to housing mostly dipped. Lowe’s dropped 0.4%, while the SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF lost roughly 1.6%.
Mortgage rates remain stubbornly high, causing many homeowners to hold off on major renovations. The average 30-year fixed conforming rate hovered around 6.06% on Friday, according to Optimal Blue data cited by Fortune. (Fortune)
Cost cuts alone won’t solve the bigger issue: demand. If borrowing costs remain elevated and home sales sluggish, any gains from internal efficiency risk being wiped out by a shrinking project pipeline.
Investors face key macro releases soon. The U.S. January jobs report drops Feb. 6, followed by January’s Consumer Price Index on Feb. 11—both capable of quickly rattling rate expectations. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Home Depot will release its fourth-quarter earnings on Feb. 24, providing a key update on guidance and any signs of renewed demand for major projects. (Homedepot)
