Are consumers cracking under the weight of high prices? We’re about to find out.

ConsumerAre consumers cracking under the weight of high prices? We’re about to find out.Quarterly earnings from Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart and Target this week will offer one of the clearest reads yet on how U.S. consumers are holding up. Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00The Home Depot will report quarterly earnings Tuesday.Dave Berman / USA Today Network via Imagn ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 19, 2026, 12:05 AM EDTBy Allie CanalFour of America’s largest retailers will report their quarterly earnings this week, and the most pressing question the reports will answer is whether Americans are finally starting to buckle under the weight of rising prices.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The results from Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart and Target are expected to offer one of the clearest snapshots yet of how U.S. households are navigating an economy increasingly under strain from soaring gas prices, stubborn inflation and elevated borrowing costs.The stakes are especially high as rising energy prices continue to ripple through the broader economy, driving up transportation, grocery and household costs when many consumers are already stretched thin.Economists, investors and journalists will parse the financial results and the accompanying commentary from corporate leaders looking for explicit signs of strain: Are shoppers trading down to cheaper products? Delaying home improvement projects? Or pulling back on discretionary purchases to prioritize essentials? FORSUBSCRIBERS00:0000:00What’s behind America’s new inflation spike01:24Home Depot kicks off the closely watched earnings parade at 9 a.m. ET Tuesday. Commentary from executives is expected to provide an early read on both consumer confidence and the housing market, in which average mortgage rates nationwide Monday were 6.68% for a 30-year fixed loan, according to Mortgage News Daily.So far this spring, early spending data sugges...