Kohl’s (KSS) shares soared nearly 100% at one point on Tuesday as retail investors continued to flock into the American chain of department stores for no clear reason.
The KSS price action resembles meme stock rallies of the past as the retailer didn’t make any corporate announcement this morning, and no Wall Street analyst issued a bullish note in its favor either.
Kohl’s stock has pared back at least half of the aforementioned gains since market open but is still trading at double its price in early April.
Kohl’s Stock Price Rally Today Is a Huge Red Flag
Kohl’s stock price surge in premarket on July 22 was accompanied by trading volume that eclipsed its daily average by almost 17 times.
This kind of rally based purely on retail speculation and meme stock momentum is often viewed as a red flag because it lacks fundamental support and is prone to violent reversal, which is already unfolding.
With nearly 48% of the float sold short, today’s spike in KSS shares likely reflects a short squeeze rather than genuine investor confidence, especially since the retail chain continues to struggle with declining sales, leadership instability, and bearish Wall Street sentiment.
Goldman Sachs Says KSS Shares Could Crash to $7
Investors should remain wary of investing in Kohl’s shares also because the department store chain saw its net sales decline by 4.1% in the first quarter and expects comparable sales to fall by another 4%-6% in 2025.
Citing this fundamental weakness, Goldman Sachs maintained its “Sell” rating on KSS stock last month and announced a price target of $7, which indicates potential downside of more than 50% from here.
In its research note, the firm also argued that higher tariffs under President Donald Trump could see Kohl’s continue to struggle with profitability moving forward.
Wall Street Agrees With Goldman Sachs on Kohl’s
Other Wall Street firms are just as bearish on Kohl’s stock for the second half of 2025.
Investors are recommended to pull out of KSS shares today as the consensus rating on the US retail chain currently sits at “Moderate Sell” and the mean target of $7.35 signals potential for steep declines ahead.
