Wall Street is preparing for a volatile week ahead as investors navigate a complex landscape of geopolitical tension, major bank earnings, and critical wholesale inflation figures — the Producer Price Index.
The corporate earnings schedule is packed, with quarterly reports expected from heavyweights including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, PepsiCo, and Netflix.
Regarding economic indicators, market participants will prioritize upcoming home sales figures, the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book, and industrial production statistics.
Energy markets are particularly sensitive right now due to the collapse of diplomatic negotiations between Washington and Tehran, alongside ongoing struggles to reopen the Strait of Hormuz — a vital artery for 20% of global crude oil—which was a primary requirement of the active two-week ceasefire.
On Sunday, President Donald Trump mandated a US naval blockade of the strategic waterway following the breakdown of peace discussions.
Through extensive social media commentary and a Fox News interview, Trump said that while the prolonged talks in Islamabad showed initial promise and “most points were agreed to,” the process ultimately stalled.
The President asserted that Iran remained “unyielding” regarding its nuclear program and refused to reopen the strait.
Furthermore, Trump issued a stern warning to China, threatening a massive 50% tariff on all Chinese imports should Beijing provide military assistance to the Iranian government.
US Economic Calendar
April 13 (Monday), existing home sales data for March will be declared.
April 14 (Tuesday), separate data on NFIB Optimism Index for March and Producer Price Index (PPI) for March will be released.
April 15 (Wednesday), separate reports on Empire State manufacturing survey for April, Home Builder Confidence Index for April, and Fed Beige Book will be issued.
April 16 (Thursday), separate reports on initial jobless claims for the week ended April 11, Philadelphia Fed manufacturing survey for April, and industrial production for March will be released.
Earnings
Following companies are due to report quarter results in the week ahead — Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, J&J, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, ASML, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, Taiwan Semiconductor, Netflix, and PepsiCo.
US Stock Market Last Week
Wall Street stocks drifted mostly lower on Friday following a sharp spike in March inflation and a shaky US-Iran ceasefire.
On Friday, the S&P 500 fell 7.77 points, or 0.1%, to 6,816.89. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 269.23 points, or 0.6%, to 47,916.57. The Nasdaq Composite rose 80.48 points, or 0.4%, to 22,902.89.
The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 5.72 points, or 0.2% to 2,630.59.
For the week, the S&P 500 is up 234.20 points, or 3.6%. The Dow is up 1,411.90 points, or 3%. The Nasdaq is up 1,023.71 points, or 4.7%.
