U.S. stock investors can expect another wild ride this coming week as almost one third of S&P 500 companies report earnings. Firms delivering results include Apple, Microsoft, General Motors, McDonald’s and Boeing.
Also expected are some key economic indicators including updates on U.S. home sales and durable goods orders.
Monday brings earnings from Netflix, whose share price suffered steep declines amid the recent sell off in tech, internet and biotech stocks.
Tuesday sees earnings from McDonald’s, AT&T, Comcast and China Mobile, news on U.S. existing home sales – which make up the vast majority of the housing market – and a speech by former Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke in Canada.
Wednesday could bring the big corporate news of the week, with both Apple and Facebook reporting earnings after markets close in New York.
With Apple, investors will watch closely for any hints of new products or services or any updates on dividends and stock buybacks amid continued pressure for it to return more of its massive cash hoard to its owners.
With Facebook, investors hope to get some updates on the company’s plans following recent acquisitions of WhatsApp and Oculus VR.
Wednesday also sees earnings from Boeing, Procter & Gamble, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments and Zynga and news on U.S. new home sales.
Thursday is another monster day for earnings, with results expected from General Motors, Microsoft, Starbucks, Amazon.com, Visa, Verizon Communications, Caterpillar, PulteGroup, Time Warner Cable and KKR.
Thursday also brings updates on U.S. durable goods orders and weekly initial jobless claims.
On Friday, the closely-watched University of Michigan U.S. consumer confidence survey is released and earnings are expected from Ford Motor among others.
