New York, Feb 11, 2026, 16:26 EST — After-hours
Burlington Stores (NYSE: BURL) shares closed up 0.4% at $305.83 on Wednesday, after trading between $304.62 and $310.79. The stock opened at $306.73 and volume totaled 463,421 shares.
The muted move comes at an awkward moment for retailers: investors have been pulling fresh signals out of U.S. data after a disappointing retail-sales print and ahead of the next inflation read. That has kept trading in consumer names jumpy even when the tape is not. (Reuters)
U.S. retail sales were unexpectedly unchanged in December, after a 0.6% rise in November, the Commerce Department’s Census Bureau reported on Tuesday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast a 0.4% increase, while “core” retail sales — excluding autos, gasoline, building materials and food services — fell 0.1%. (Idaho Business Review)
Other off-price retailers were mixed on Wednesday. TJX Cos fell 1.7% while Ross Stores was little changed, market data showed.
Burlington is still trading within its 52-week range, roughly $213 to $318, leaving the stock exposed to any broader swing in risk appetite. (Investing)
Investors typically focus on comparable store sales — sales at stores open at least a year — and margins for early hints on traffic, markdowns and how much of any cost pressure the company is eating versus passing through.
But the consumer backdrop is getting noisier. “Consumers were stingier in opening their wallets in December,” KPMG Senior Economist Ken Kim wrote, pointing to weaker holiday-season momentum and tariff-related price pressures in some categories. (KPMG)
Burlington, which sells discounted apparel and home merchandise, has pitched itself as a place where shoppers can trade down without giving up brands. The company has described itself as an “off-price retailer” with fiscal 2024 net sales of $10.6 billion. (Burlington Investors)
A strong U.S. employment report on Wednesday also nudged rate expectations again, which matters for consumer shares sensitive to borrowing costs and sentiment. “This is constructive news in that the economy is not in dire need of rate cuts,” Julia Hermann, global market strategist at New York Life Investments, said in a note carried by Reuters, adding that investors now turn to Friday’s CPI inflation report. (Reuters)
For Burlington, the next company catalyst is its quarterly report, scheduled for Feb. 26, according to Business Insider’s earnings calendar. Traders will be looking for management’s read on demand, inventories and the spring setup after a shaky end to the holiday season for the broader retail sector. (Businessinsider)
