Key Takeaways
\nFederal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is set to deliver closely watched remarks on Friday, potentially signaling how the central bank could approach interest rates.Walmart, Home Depot, Target, and Lowe\u2019s are scheduled to report earnings, giving insight into consumer spending patterns and tariff pressures.Housing market data, Fed meeting minutes, and weekly jobless claims also will attract attention this week.<\/p>\n
Get ready to hear a lot about Jerome Powell.\n<\/p>\n
Remarks from the Federal Reserve chair<\/a> will likely demand market watchers’ attention this week as investors seek clarity over the central bank\u2019s next interest-rate moves. Powell has been under pressure to produce rate cuts, but recent economic data has put officials in a tough position.\n<\/p>\n Traders also will be following earnings expected from major retailers, including Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowe\u2019s, and Ross Stores. Investors will watch for signs of tariff-driven inflation and fading consumer sentiment<\/a>. Housing market data, Fed meeting minutes, and weekly jobless claims also could have an impact on markets this week.\n<\/p>\n The major U.S. indexes logged gains last week<\/a>, with the Dow touching an intraday record on Friday.\n<\/p>\n Read to the bottom for our calendar of key events\u2014and one more thing.\n<\/p>\n Investors Look to Powell Remarks for Clarity on Interest- Rate Path <\/p>\n Attention will turn toward the American West this week. At the annual Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium, Powell is expected to lead a lineup of speakers that includes central bankers, economists, and top officials.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Economists are seeing more likelihood that the Fed will cut interest rates at its next meeting as the central bank faces relentless pressure from President Donald Trump<\/a> and other administration officials to lower borrowing costs when it next meets in September. The Fed hasn\u2019t lowered rates since last December<\/a> and now finds itself in a tough position, said BMO Senior Economist Jennifer Lee, with inflation ticking higher<\/a> while the job market looks weaker than thought<\/a>.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \u201cCan’t imagine the pressure on Fed Chair Powell ahead of the Jackson Hole gathering,\u201d Lee wrote in a recent blog post.\n<\/p>\n The minutes for the July meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee<\/a> will provide a look into the Fed\u2019s view of interest rates and the economy and could add insight about the actions of two committee members who split<\/a> from their colleagues to vote in favor of a rate cut last month.\n<\/p>\n Housing market data and jobless claims also will be released this week.\n<\/p>\n Walmart, Target Earnings Due as Tariff Pressures Loom <\/p>\n As Trump\u2019s tariffs<\/a> begin to show some impact on inflation, earnings reports from large retailers will show if the import taxes are hitting their sales.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Walmart\u2019s (WMT<\/a>) scheduled report on Thursday comes after the retailer said it would look to price increases<\/a> to help balance the costs of tariffs. Home Depot (HD<\/a>) has said it was attempting to maintain its pricing structure<\/a>, with investors getting more details on the hardware retailer with its report set for Tuesday.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Target\u2019s (TGT<\/a>) expected Wednesday report follows warnings in the prior quarter that sales may move lower<\/a> than originally projected. Sales also seen softening for T.J. Maxx parent TJX (TJX<\/a>), which said in the prior quarter that tariffs are expected to impact revenue<\/a> figures. Other noteworthy retailers scheuled to report this week include home improvement chain Lowe\u2019s (LOW<\/a>) and discount retailer Ross Stores (ROST<\/a>).\n<\/p>\n Quick Links:\u00a0Recap Last Week\u2019s Trading<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Read Investopedia\u2019s Latest News<\/a><\/p>\n This Week\u2019s Calendar <\/p>\n Monday, Aug. 18\n<\/p>\n Homebuilder confidence (August) Tuesday, Aug. 19\n<\/p>\n Housing starts (July) Wednesday, Aug. 20\n<\/p>\n FOMC minutes for July meeting Thursday, Aug. 21\n<\/p>\n Existing home sales (July) Friday, Aug. 22\n<\/p>\n Expected remarks from Fed Chair Jerome Powell at Jackson Hole symposium One More Thing <\/p>\n
\nKey Earnings:\u00a0Palo Alto Networks (PANW<\/a>)<\/p>\n
\nKey Earnings: Home Depot, Medtronic (MDT<\/a>), Keysight Technologies (KEYS<\/a>), Viking Holdings (VIK<\/a>), XPeng (XPEV<\/a>), Toll Brothers (TOL<\/a>)<\/p>\n
\nFed Officials Speaking: Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic
\nKey Earnings: TJX Cos., Lowe\u2019s, Analog Devices (ADI<\/a>), Target, Estee Lauder (EL<\/a>), Baidu (BIDU<\/a>)<\/p>\n
\nFed Officials Speaking: Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic, Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium begins
\nKey Earnings: Walmart, Intuit (INTU<\/a>), Workday (WDAY<\/a>), Ross Stores
\nData to Watch: Initial jobless claims (Week ending Aug. 16), Philadelphia Fed manufacturing survey (August), S&P Flash U.S. PMI (August), U.S. leading economic indicators (July)<\/p>\n
\nKey Earnings: BJ\u2019s Wholesale Club (BJ<\/a>)<\/p>\n