Core Viewpoint - Shares of Lowe's experienced an increase following an upgrade from Barclays, which raised its rating and price target for the company [1][3]. Group 1: Analyst Upgrade - Barclays analyst Seth Sigman upgraded Lowe's rating to overweight, citing valuation and pent-up demand as key factors [3]. - The price target was raised from $259 to $285, indicating a potential upside of 16% based on the previous closing price [3]. Group 2: Market Conditions - The home-improvement sector has faced challenges due to a slowdown in the housing market, but recent trends show improvement as mortgage rates decline and pending home sales in November reached their highest since 2023 [4]. - Lowe's is trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 21, which, while not cheap, is still at a discount compared to the S&P 500 [4]. Group 3: Future Outlook - If the housing market continues to recover, Lowe's stock is expected to benefit from this trend [4].

Core Viewpoint - Rigetti Computing's stock is experiencing significant sell-offs due to inflation concerns triggered by Home Depot's recent price increase announcement [1][2][5]. Group 1: Stock Performance - Rigetti Computing's stock price fell by 8.7% as of 2:45 p.m. ET, with a peak decline of 9.6% earlier in the day [1]. - The stock is trading at approximately 605 times this year's expected sales, indicating a highly growth-dependent valuation [6]. Group 2: Inflation Concerns - Home Depot's management announced price increases on certain items due to tariff-related costs, which investors interpret as a worrying inflation indicator [2][5]. - The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a higher-than-expected Producer Price Index (PPI) inflation rate of 0.9%, significantly above the forecast of 0.3% [4]. Group 3: Market Sentiment - The recent inflation data and Home Depot's comments raise concerns about potential upward trends in inflation levels in the near term [7]. - The speculative nature of Rigetti's outlook, combined with its growth-dependent valuation, makes it a risky investment at this time [6][7].