Good morning. There’s more executive turnover in the Fortune 500. Target CEO Brian Cornell is stepping down, and Michael Fiddelke, chief operating officer (COO), will become chief executive on Feb. 1, 2026. Cornell has led Target for 11 years.

Fiddelke, an Iowa native and University of Iowa graduate, has been with Target since 2003, starting as an intern. Investors reacted negatively to the appointment, causing Target's shares to drop over 6%. An Iowa native and University of Iowa graduate will be the new top executive of Target, one of the nation's largest retail chains.

Fiddelke acknowledged many of these problems on Wednesday, saying Target was “urgently adjusting” to tariffs and changing consumer needs, embracing technology to automate manual work, and working to mend problems like slow decision-making, siloed internal goals, and a lack of access to quality data that would drive better inventory planning.

The retailer’s board believes a company veteran can promote much needed change. Now, Michael Fiddelke has to prove himself to others.

Michael Fiddelke, the company’s chief operating officer, will take over as chief executive in February as Brian Cornell transitions to executive chair. The announcement comes at a time Target is trying to emerge from multiple quarters of sales declines.

Incoming Target CEO Michael Fiddelke has been leading the retailer's acceleration effort to combat falling sales. He laid out plans to restore growth.

Target (TGT) stock is sinking after the company announced that COO Michael Fiddelke will succeed current CEO Brian Cornell. Mizuho Americas director and senior analyst David Bellinger and Roth Capital Partners senior research analyst Bill Kirk join Market Catalysts to discuss what investors want to see out of Target and to explain why the market is worried the incoming CEO isn't up to the challenge.

Key Takeaways Target announced it was replacing CEO Brian Cornell with 20-year company veteran Michael Fiddelke, and shares plunged.Fiddelke was instrumental in the struggling retailer's efforts to reshape how it operates.