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After consecutive tariffs from the Trump administration and persistent inflation concerns, this week is expected to be relatively quiet, with only a handful of earnings reports from major companies.
Read more: 5 sectors facing price hikes from Trump’s new steel and aluminum tariffs
For investors planning their trades, a heads-up: U.S. stock markets will be closed on Monday, February 17, 2025, in observance of Presidents’ Day.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at what the week has in store for investors.
Walmart and Alibaba set to release earnings reports
This week will be relatively quiet on the earnings front, as no major companies are scheduled to release their financial results — except for a few key players that could still drive market movements.
Thursday will be the highlight of the week for earnings watchers. Retail giant Walmart (WMT+0.23%) and Chinese e-commerce powerhouse Alibaba (BABA-0.91%) are both set to report their quarterly results in the morning, offering insights into consumer spending trends in the U.S. and China.
Later in the day, Block Inc. (SQ+0.67%) (XYZ-0.46%) — the fintech company led by Jack Dorsey — will release its earnings report after the market closes.
Key economic events to watch this week
The week kicks off on Tuesday with the release of the Home Builder Confidence Index, which will provide insights into how optimistic U.S. homebuilders are about the housing market.
On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve will publish the minutes from its January FOMC meeting, giving investors a closer look at policymakers’ discussions on inflation, interest rates, and the overall economic outlook.
Thursday brings the release of the weekly initial jobless claims report, offering fresh data on the strength of the labor market and unemployment trends.
Finally, on Friday, the Consumer Sentiment (final) report will shed light on how confident consumers feel about the economy, while the Existing Home Sales report will provide a snapshot of demand in the housing market.