New York, February 11, 2026, 10:02 (ET) — Session underway
- After falling on Tuesday, Target shares ticked higher in morning trading.
- The retailer reaffirmed it still anticipates meeting earlier guidance and revealed senior leadership changes set for Feb. 15.
- Investors are eyeing Target’s March 3 financial community meeting for the latest on earnings and strategy updates.
Target Corp (TGT.N) shares edged up 0.2% to $113.44 during Wednesday morning trading in New York, recovering slightly after a sharp selloff sparked by a wave of news about the retailer’s restructuring under new CEO Michael Fiddelke.
Timing is crucial. With quarterly results approaching, Target is already reshuffling staff and tweaking its structure, and investors haven’t been shy about punishing signs of a sluggish turnaround.
Target slid 1.98% to close at $113.23 on Tuesday, while the S&P 500 dipped 0.60% amid a generally sluggish market. Costco took a bigger hit, dropping 2.57%, and Walmart fell 0.82%, per MarketWatch data. 1
Target announced that Lisa Roath will step up as chief operating officer, overseeing daily operations, while Cara Sylvester will assume the role of chief merchandising officer starting Feb. 15. The company is consolidating its merchandising leadership — chief commercial officer Rick Gomez is leaving, and Jill Sando is retiring. “These leadership changes align the right talent and expertise with key roles, and simplify our structure,” Fiddelke said. 2
A regulatory filing revealed Target anticipates fourth-quarter 2025 sales and full-year earnings to match its earlier guidance, covering both GAAP earnings (standard accounting results) and adjusted earnings that leave out specific items. 3
Back in November, Target projected a slight drop in fourth-quarter sales, expecting declines in the low single digits. The company also forecasted full-year adjusted earnings per share between $7.00 and $8.00, with GAAP EPS estimated around $7.70 to $8.70. 4
Target is redirecting funds toward its stores. An internal memo obtained by Reuters reveals the company plans to cut about 500 office and supply-chain positions and reduce the number of store districts. The goal is to boost hours and training for frontline staff. “It’s an immediate addition of store payroll to support more hours and more training dollars for our store teams,” a Target spokesperson told Reuters. 5
Separately, Target and its Roundel retail media arm are experimenting with contextual ads inside ChatGPT, working alongside OpenAI, according to a Target fact sheet. “We believe ads play an important role in continuing to support broad access to AI,” said Asad Awan, OpenAI’s ads and monetization lead. Target added that traffic from ChatGPT to its site has been climbing roughly 40% month over month. 6
But the plan carries execution risks. If in-stocks drop or store standards falter, job cuts in supply chain and district offices could hit quickly. And the ChatGPT pilot might be too limited—or launched too soon—to shift the earnings narrative.
Target has its next big event lined up for March 3: a financial community meeting where it will unveil fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results and update investors on its strategy. 7
