New York, Feb 13, 2026, 17:59 EST — Activity in after-hours trading.
Home Depot picked up 0.2% to $391.05 in late trading Friday, holding steady after hours. The move came as Citigroup bumped up its price target on the home-improvement giant. Shares had ranged from $387.15 to $393.92 during the session.
With a holiday-shortened week coming up in the U.S., the modest shift arrives just as markets brace for new data that could once more shift the outlook on rate cuts. Focus among investors is already moving beyond Walmart’s numbers, set for release next week, turning instead to upcoming reports from Home Depot and Lowe’s.
Friday brought some tailwinds. U.S. consumer prices ticked up 0.2% for January, and the “core” CPI number—stripping out food and energy—landed at 0.3%, which keeps the Fed holding steady for now. “Overall, the data suggest that price pressures remain a little too hot for comfort for the time being,” said James McCann, senior economist at Edward Jones. Reuters
Citigroup bumped its price target on Home Depot to $450, up from $407, while sticking with its Buy rating, TipRanks said, referencing TheFly.
Stocks wobbled after the inflation numbers—S&P 500 posted a small gain, but the Nasdaq edged down as tech names struggled. “Large cap tech stocks continue to be an anchor on the market and any whiff of optimism continues to get rejected,” Rosenblatt Securities managing director Michael James said. Reuters
Home-improvement investors got another jolt on the cost front. Lowe’s announced plans to cut roughly 600 corporate and support jobs Friday. “This step helps better align our resources to support our stores and the associates who serve customers every day,” a spokesperson said. Reuters
But the rate picture could easily swing the other direction. If services inflation keeps running hot and borrowing costs barely budge, spending on major repairs and renovations remains unpredictable—and the risk to forward guidance ticks higher as earnings approach.
Home Depot is set to release its quarterly numbers Tuesday, Feb. 24. Investors will be watching closely for signs of how demand is holding up, margin performance, and whether there’s any shift in management’s outlook for the spring selling stretch.
