August 17–21, 2026
Walmart, Target, Home Depot and Lowe’s report into a market still trying to figure out how much spending power the consumer has left, while Wednesday’s Fed minutes could show how much support there was for a July rate hike beyond the three officials who dissented. Housing data Tuesday and flash PMIs Friday round out a lighter macro slate. Read to the end to see why this week matters.
Upcoming Earnings
Monday, August 17
- Fabrinet (FN) — After Close
Tuesday, August 18
- Home Depot (HD) — Before Open
- Baidu (BIDU) — Before Open
- Toll Brothers (TOL) — After Close
- Keysight Technologies (KEYS) — After Close
Wednesday, August 19
- Analog Devices (ADI) — Before Open
- Lowe’s (LOW) — Before Open
- Target (TGT) — Before Open
- TJX Companies (TJX) — Before Open
- Estée Lauder (EL) — Before Open
Thursday, August 20
- Walmart (WMT) — Before Open
- Alibaba (BABA) — Before Open
- Deere (DE) — Before Open
- Ross Stores (ROST) — After Close
Friday, August 21
- BJ’s Wholesale Club (BJ) — Before Open
Economic Data (ET)
Monday, August 17
- 8:30 a.m. — Empire State Manufacturing Index
- 10:00 a.m. — NAHB Housing Market Index
Tuesday, August 18
- 8:30 a.m. — Housing Starts
- 8:30 a.m. — Import Prices
- 9:15 a.m. — Industrial Production
- 9:15 a.m. — Capacity Utilization
- 10:00 a.m. — Pending Home Sales
Wednesday, August 19
- 2:00 p.m. — FOMC Meeting Minutes
Thursday, August 20
- 8:30 a.m. — Initial Jobless Claims
- 8:30 a.m. — Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index
Friday, August 21
- 9:45 a.m. — S&P Global Flash Manufacturing PMI
- 9:45 a.m. — S&P Global Flash Services PMI
Why This Week Matters
The Fed’s July vote was not even with three officials favoring a 25 basis-point hike. Still, the FOMC held rates at 3.5% to 3.75%. Wednesday’s minutes should give traders a better idea of whether those dissenters were isolated or whether a larger group was close to supporting tighter policy.
July retail sales fell 0.6% from June, and this week puts some of the country’s biggest retailers in front of investors. Walmart and Target offer the broadest read, while TJX and Ross should show how strongly shoppers are leaning toward value. Home Depot and Lowe’s add another layer, with both tied closely to housing turnover and big-ticket discretionary spending.
Tuesday’s housing and industrial data will help fill in the rest of the picture. Analog Devices gives the market another read on semiconductor demand Wednesday, while Alibaba and Baidu bring China’s AI and cloud spending back into focus. By Friday, the flash PMIs should offer the first broad look at how U.S. business activity is holding up in August.
Stick with Stock Trader Network, we have much in store for the Think Tank!
Want this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox before the week starts? Sign up for STN or enter your email here.
