Target Shares Plunge Amid Earnings Decline and CEO Transition

Target Corporation (TGT) shares tumbled 8.1% following its Q2 earnings report, despite surpassing analyst expectations. Revenue dipped 0.9% to $25.2 billion, with earnings per share falling 20.2% to $2.05 due to margin pressures from tariffs. Same-store sales showed modest improvement, declining 1.9% compared to Q1's 3.8% drop, buoyed by 4.3% digital sales growth.

Investors reacted sharply to CEO Brian Cornell's retirement announcement and the internal promotion of COO Michael Fiddelke as his successor. The market's negative response suggests concerns about strategic continuity as Target loses ground to discount rivals like Walmart (WMT) and Costco (COST). Some shareholders may have preferred an external hire to drive transformation amid post-pandemic inflationary challenges.