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LivestreamMenu(PRO Views are exclusive to PRO subscribers, giving them insight on the news of the day direct from a real investment pro. See the full discussion above.) Retail stocks are taking center stage this week as a handful of major names in the sector report earnings, according to Jay Woods, chief market strategist at Freedom Capital Markets. Home Depot , Lowe’s , Target and Walmart all release quarterly results this week. It’s an otherwise light week on the corporate earnings calendar, with only a dozen S & P 500 companies slated to report. Woods said Target is the “story of the year” and that new CEO Michael Fiddelke has not gotten enough credit for turning the retailer around. Target shares have surged more than 56% in 2026, putting the stock on track for its first winning year in five. However, Wall Street expects a pullback ahead: The average analyst has a hold rating and anticipates around 6% downside, per LSEG. Woods said Target shares have resistance forming around the $155 per share level. If it drops to the $140 level, he said it would be a good time to enter the stock. Target traded slightly lower on the session Monday at roughly $153 per share. “I think it’s a stock you want to fade,” Woods said. TGT 5Y mountain Target, 5-year Woods said Walmart is in a near-term downtrend. He said the stock is facing a double top at the $135 a share level. A double top chart pattern is shaped like the letter “M” and suggests that a downward trend may be unfolding. Walmart shares have added about 3% in 2026, underperforming the S & P 500 over that timeframe. Still, the stock is on track for its fourth straight winning year. Analysts polled the LSEG are bullish: The average one has a buy rating and expects the stock to climb more than 20% in the next 12 months. “I don’t think we’re going to be challenging that on this earnings report,” Woods said of the double-top level. “But we’ll get an idea of what the consumer in that K-shaped economy is looking like when they report.” Home Depot , on the other hand, has slipped nearly 2% in 2026 heading into its latest report. Most analysts have a buy rating, with an average price target suggesting around 10% in upside, per LSEG. Woods said to watch the stock’s 200-day moving average and noted that it has an inverted head-and-shoulders bottom forming. If Home Depot can eclipse the $355 per share level, it could rise into the range of between $380 and $400. Shares were marginally lower on Monday, trading at about $338. “The technicians are going to be watching this,” he said. “Right now, it’s a ‘prove-me stock.’ The discretionary sector has been one that’s been beaten down. Will they buck that trend?” Beyond retail, Woods said he’s keeping an eye on oil companies as crude prices remain elevated. He said Exxon Mobil and Chevron both appear to be rallying to 52-week highs. (This weekly Monday video is exclusively for CNBC PRO subscribers.)Read More
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