In light of the holiday-shortened week, things will be relatively slow on the economic front, but Wednesday will feature the release of the Federal Open Market Committee's (FOMC) latest meeting minutes, which traders will parse for rate-hike clues. Earnings reports will continue to trickle in, with blue chips Walmart (WMT) and Home Depot (HD) set to report. Other notable names stepping up to the plate include First Solar (FSLR) and Universal Display (OLED), as well as a handful of restaurants and oil-and-gas producers.
Below is a brief list of some key market events scheduled for the upcoming week. All earnings dates listed below are tentative and subject to change. Please check with each company's respective website for official reporting dates.
Markets will be closed on Monday, Feb. 19, for Presidents Day.
Tuesday, Feb. 20, will be a quiet day on the economic data front. Home Depot (HD), Walmart (WMT), Ctrip.com (CTRP), Dillard's (DDS), Domino's Pizza (DPZ), Duke Energy (DUK), FirstEnergy (FE), Medtronic (MDT), MGM Resorts (MGM), Newfield Exploration (NFX), and Transocean (RIG) and will kick the week off with earnings reports.
Wednesday, Feb. 21, will feature the Fed minutes, the MBA mortgage index, Markit's flash purchasing managers index (PMI), along with data on existing home sales. Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari will speak after the close. Advance Auto Parts (AAP), Avis Budget (CAR), Cheesecake Factory (CAKE), DISH Network (DISH), Garmin (GRMN), Jack in the Box (JACK), Pandora (P), Stamps.com (STMP), and Wendy's (WEN) all step into the earnings confessional.
Thursday, Feb. 22, will bring us data on weekly jobless claims and crude inventories, the Fed's balance sheet, and the Conference Board's index of leading economic indicators. New York Fed President William Dudley will speak in the morning, and Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic will take the mic later in the day. In terms of earnings, Chesapeake Energy (CHK), First Solar (FSLR), GoDaddy (GDDY), Herbalife (HLF), HP Inc (HPQ), Intuit (INTU), Red Robin Gourmet Burgers (RRGB), Universal Display (OLED), Wayfair (W), Wingstop (WING), and Zoe's Kitchen (ZOES) are all slated to report.
On Friday, Feb. 23, Dudley will speak again, as well as Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester. For earnings, Cabot Oil & Gas (COG), Huntsman Corporation (HUN), and Royal Bank of Canada (RY) will close out the week.