What to expect in the markets this week

Friday November 15

• Import/export price index (October)

• US Retail Sales (October)

• Empire State Manufacturing Survey (November)

• Industrial production/capacity utilization (October)

• Business inventories (September)

• Alibaba (BABA) and spectrum brands (SPB) report income

The week starts Monday with Veterans Day, a federal holiday during which bond markets will be closed but major stock markets will remain open.

Following last week’s decision by the Federal Reserve to cut rates, investors will have a chance to gain more perspective on the economy as several Fed officials will make comments throughout the week.

At the top of the list is Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, who will deliver remarks on the economy at an event at the Dallas Regional Chamber on Thursday. Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari and St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem are also likely to make comments on the economy at events this week, while Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan, Kansas City Fed President Jeffrey Schmid and Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker is also on the schedule. speak.

Market watchers will get another important inflation reading this week with the Wednesday release of the October CPI. Following a September report that found inflation unexpectedly high at 2.4%, the latest print of the economic indicator will show whether price pressures have continued to move closer to the Fed’s target of 2%. The next day, the Producer Price Index (PPI) will show how inflation is impacting wholesale.

Economists will keep an eye on U.S. retail sales on Friday to see if consumers continue to perform above expectations. Retail sales rose 0.4% in September, with economists pointing to the growth as evidence that U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) could come in stronger than previous forecasts in the third quarter.

Several notable retailers, drugmakers and technology companies are on the corporate earnings calendar this week.

Home Improvement retailer Home Depot will report its third-quarter earnings on Tuesday after forecasting a bigger decline in full-year comparable store sales due to weakening consumer trends.

British drugmaker AstraZeneca will also announce its financial figures on Tuesday as the company continues to develop a breast cancer treatment after its latest trials showed disappointing results.

Network infrastructure maker Cisco will report its fiscal first-quarter 2025 results on Wednesday, its first since it announced a 7% workforce reduction, along with earnings reports that showed both sales and profit declines.

On Thursday, Walt Disney will look to build on the profits it reported for its streaming service after posting better-than-expected results in the previous quarter, despite lower demand in its theme park business.

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group will report on Friday on the results of a three-year government antitrust investigation, which has since sent the company’s share price soaring. Alibaba’s report follows a disappointing quarter in which sales fell short of expectations and profits fell. JD.com, another Chinese online retailer, will release its quarterly financial report on Thursday.

Bitcoin miner MARA Holdings will report earnings on Tuesday after raising $250 million to buy more of the digital currency and add it to its balance sheet of more than 20,000 bitcoin.