The First Slice for Tuesday, November 12, 2024
This week starts with the Veterans Day holiday, a time to honor those who served in the U.S. armed forces. While bond markets take the day off, the stock markets keep rolling, setting the stage for an action-packed week in finance. Investors will be listening closely as Federal Reserve leaders, including Chair Jerome Powell, share their thoughts on the state of the U.S. economy. These speeches could give insights into how the Fed sees inflation, interest rates, and potential economic challenges ahead.
Inflation is on everyone’s radar this week, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) set to drop on Wednesday. The CPI measures how much prices have changed for everyday goods, and since inflation is a hot topic, everyone from economists to consumers will be watching to see if prices are finally cooling down to the Fed’s target. The Producer Price Index (PPI) follows on Thursday, giving us a peek into wholesale price shifts, and the week wraps up with retail sales data on Friday to see if shoppers are still spending big despite rising costs.
Alongside all the macroeconomic updates, several major companies are releasing their earnings. Home Depot and Disney are in the spotlight, dealing with shifting consumer behavior—Home Depot from slowing home improvement trends and Disney from lower theme park attendance but rising streaming numbers. Cisco’s report could reveal more about its financial health after recent layoffs, while AstraZeneca shares update on its ongoing quest for groundbreaking cancer treatments.
Bitcoin enthusiasts might tune in as MARA Holdings, a big name in cryptocurrency mining, releases its earnings. The company recently raised a substantial $250 million to boost its Bitcoin reserves, adding a bit of drama to its report. On Friday, Alibaba and JD.com, two Chinese e-commerce giants, revealed their financials, bringing insight into how they navigate China’s economic shifts and recent regulatory scrutiny.
This week promises a mix of crucial updates, with the intersection of consumer spending, inflation, corporate performance, and economic policy in the balance. Each piece of data and each speech could shape the decisions investors and businesses make as they look to close out the year………. [read more]
*Click on the “First Slice” icon to read the full article. After you read it, come back and tell us your thoughts.
Share this content: