It didn’t have to be this way. At the start of his tenure, Cornell, who the company announced yesterday will step down as CEO on February 1, was an outsider unafraid to move fast and break things. He had been CEO of a big PepsiCo unit, Michaels Stores, and Sam’s Club before that.

In 2025, Walmart has been a clear outperformer, up 12%, while Target has slumped 22%. Technicians tend not to believe too much in mean reversion, because once trends are in motion, they are more likely to remain in place rather than reverse. Expect this dynamic to continue.

Target's stock is down, and Walmart's stock is up. Do you buy the stock performance winner or the loser of this matchup?

Several big-box U.S. retailers are set to report second-quarter earnings this week, offering a glimpse into the spending habits of U.S. consumers and the continued impact of President Trump’s trade war.

The company marked a milestone in May — posting its first profitable quarter for its e-commerce business in the U.S. and globally.

After 11 years in the role, Cornell will leave his post at the beginning of next year, per CNN, CNBC and AP. He will be replaced by Michael Fiddelke, Target’s current chief operating officer, on Feb. 1, 2026. Fiddelke has been with the company for 20 years and started as an intern.

Further, 49% of shoppers believe that Walmart is offering the best BTS deals this year, followed by Target (22%) and Amazon (12%).

Executive Editor Brian Sozzi joins Ramzan Karmali on Market Sunrise to talk about the major earnings calls coming up this week, including Target (TGT), Home Depot (HD) and Walmart (WMT).

According to a recent analyst note obtained by MarketWatch, BofA analysts state that because of its high import exposure, Target will need to increase its prices to twice the rate