Blue-Chip Retail Earnings, Housing Data on Deck Next Week

Weekly jobless claims will be a hotly-watched figure again

The third week of May will be an admittedly slow one, but there's still plenty to keep an eye on. As it has been for the past two months, all eyes will be on the weekly jobless claims report on Thursday, as Wall Street weighs the impact the coronavirus outbreak has wrought on the U.S. economy. Investors continue to fret over the possibilities surrounding the opening of the economy in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Major earnings being announced include reports from blue-chip retailers Walmart (WMT) and Home Depot (HD), as well as Target (TGT) and chip name Nvidia (NVDA).

Below is a brief list of some key market events and a few high-profile earnings releases scheduled for the upcoming week. All earnings and economic dates listed below are tentative and subject to change. Please check with each company's respective website for official reporting dates.

On Monday, May 18 begins the week with only the NAHB home builders index coming in as far as economic data is concerned. Additionally, Baidu (BIDU), International Game Technology (IGT), iQIYI (IQ), and Sea (SE) will report earnings.

Tuesday, May 19 comes with much of the same, with housing starts and building permits the only noteworthy data on tap. The earnings docket will feature somenotable namesAdvance Auto Parts (AAP), HD, Kohl's (KSS), URBN, and WMT.

There's a mid-week break of sorts on Wednesday, May 20 with just the first-quarter advanced services checking in. Meanwhile, Analog Devices (ADI), Expedia Group (EXPE), Lowe's Companies (LOW), Take-Two Interactive (TTWO), TGT, and ZTO Express (ZTO) will step into the earnings confessional.

Due out Thursday, May 21 is the bulk of this weeks economic data, as initial jobless claims, Markit services purchasing managers index (PMI), existing home sales and leading economic indicators all pour in. On deck to report earnings are Best Buy (BBY), Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), Hormel Foods (HRL), Nordstrom (JWN), Nvidia (NVDA), and TJX Companies (TJX).

Closing out the slow week, Friday, May 22 comes with no notable economic data. Alibaba (BABA), AMC Entertainment (AMC), Campbell Soup Company (CPB), Deere (DE), Foot Locker (FL), and Pinduoduo (PDD) will report earnings.