The Week Ahead: Inflation Data, Fed Concerns, and AI Earnings Could Move Markets

TLDR

• July CPI data drops Wednesday, with economists expecting a 0.2% rise in overall and core inflation
• The Fed faces renewed independence concerns after the White House moved to oust Governor Lisa Cook
• AI infrastructure firms Nebius, CoreWeave, and Cerebras all report earnings this week
• Retail sales and consumer sentiment data land Friday, rounding out a busy economic week
• The S&P 500 closed at record highs Friday after a strong jobs report eased rate hike fears

U.S. markets head into a packed week with inflation data, Fed drama, and a fresh batch of earnings from AI infrastructure companies all on the calendar.

The S&P 500 closed Friday at record highs, gaining 0.6% on the day. For the week, the Nasdaq rose 5.2%, the S&P 500 added 3.6%, and the Dow gained 3%. It was the best week for all three indexes since April.

The catalyst was Friday’s jobs report, which eased investor fears about near-term rate hikes from the Federal Reserve.

Inflation Data Takes Center Stage

The July Consumer Price Index reading arrives Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. ET. Economists expect both the overall and core figures to rise 0.2%.

… Continue reading the full article at the original source below.