At a Glance
Walmart, Alibaba, Ross Stores and Deere report earnings Thursday.
Investors will watch the Fed minutes and fresh manufacturing data.
AI data-center spending could reach $1 trillion globally in 2026.
Power shortages and chip supply remain major hurdles for AI expansion.
Oil prices and Fed policy are pulling the US dollar in opposite directions.
A quieter week could still bring sharp moves as retail earnings, economic data and currency pressures give traders fresh clues about the US economy.
US stocks enter the week after mixed performance, with the S&P 500 up 0.4% last week, the Nasdaq gaining 0.6% and the Dow falling 0.6%. Now, attention turns to retailers, manufacturing data and the Federal Reserve.
KEY DETAILS
Walmart, Alibaba, Ross Stores and Deere report Thursday, followed by BJ's Wholesale Club on Friday. Baidu reports Tuesday, with investors watching its AI cloud revenue.
Economic data will also take center stage. Housing starts, industrial production and manufacturing output arrive Tuesday, while Fed meeting minutes are due Wednesday. Friday brings preliminary US manufacturing and services PMI figures.
MARKET REACTION
Consumer confidence has weakened as inflation, higher bond yields and geopolitical risks weigh on households. Retail sales fell 0.6% in July, missing expectations for 0.1% growth.
Meanwhile, global AI data-center investment could reach $1 trillion this year, according to Goldman Sachs. Yet chip shortages, skilled-labor gaps and power constraints threaten to slow construction. Bloomberg New Energy Finance estimates a 19-gigawatt power shortfall by 2035.
WHY IT MATTERS
The dollar faces competing pressures from oil and Fed policy. Disrupted Strait of Hormuz shipping supports safe-haven demand, while softer jobs and inflation data have reduced expectations for Fed rate hikes.
Traders will be watching Walmart's results, the Fed minutes, manufacturing figures, and fresh signals from oil and the dollar as the week unfolds.
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Source: Yahoo Finance
