Stock Opportunities: Upcoming Reports for Investors

Rising Stock Market Expectations

U.S. stock futures generally moved upward on Sunday evening as investors reacted to the end of the government shutdown, pauses in the technology sector, and uncertainties regarding Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures remained stable, while the S&P 500 (ES=F) and Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) contracts increased by 0.3% and 0.5%, respectively.

The Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) experienced a volatile week and finished lower as large tech companies such as Alphabet (GOOG), Amazon (AMZN), Broadcom (AVGO), and Meta (META) fell. On the other hand, the S&P 500 (^GSPC) and Dow (^DJI) ended the week with slight gains, although sharp pullbacks were observed on Thursday.

As the end of the government shutdown brings uncertainty back to all economic data, this week will see significant developments for investors. The September employment report will be released on Thursday, providing long-awaited official data on the U.S. labor market. This report raises uncertainties regarding the central bank's next interest rate move due to Federal Reserve officials' more cautious stance last week.

In the coming week, particularly in the artificial intelligence sector, the last major earnings reports for the season will be revealed. Nvidia (NVDA) will present a surprise report on Wednesday, an event that will be closely watched. Additionally, retail giants like Walmart (WMT) will provide new data on consumer strength. Home Depot (HD), Target (TGT), Lowe's (LOW), and Gap (GAP) will also release their reports this week.

On the other hand, Bitcoin (BTC-USD) serves as a health check for the cryptocurrency market. Having reached its highest level in the past month, above $126,000, Bitcoin has now dropped below $94,000, erasing its gains since the beginning of the year. This decline indicates the erasure of the gains initiated by the Trump administration's crypto-friendly stance and suggests that investors may pivot towards a risk-averse mentality.