What To Expect in the Markets This Week

The latest reports on inflation, jobs, and consumer sentiment could be in the spotlight this week, with Wednesday’s release of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) offering a key update on price pressures in February.

Investors will also be watching for scheduled earnings reports from tech giants Oracle (ORCL) and Adobe (ADBE). Results from several retailers, including Dick’s Sporting Goods (DKS), Ulta Beauty (ULTA), and Dollar General (DG), could offer a look at retail sales amid worries about tariffs and consumer confidence. 

Monday, March 10

• Oracle and Vail Resorts (MTN) are scheduled to report earnings

Tuesday, March 11

• NFIB Optimism Index (February)
• Job Openings (January)
• Ferguson (FERG), Viking Holdings (VIK), Dick’s Sporting Goods, Casey’s General Stores (CASY), and Kohl’s (KSS) are scheduled to report earnings

Wednesday, March 12

• Consumer Price Index (February)
• Monthly U.S. Federal Budget (February)
• Adobe and Crown Castle (CCI) are scheduled to report earnings

Thursday, March 13

• Initial Jobless Claims (March 8)
• Producer Price Index (February)
• Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM), DocuSign (DOCU), Ulta Beauty, and Dollar General are scheduled to report earnings

Friday, March 14

• Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index (March – preliminary)
• Li Auto (LI) and WeRide (WRD) are scheduled to report earnings

Fresh Inflation Data Due Amid Tariff Uncertainty

Fresh inflation figures due this week are expected to offer a look at how prices performed in February, the first full month of data under the administration of President Donald Trump since his reelection.

The CPI release on Wednesday follows other recent inflation reports showing price pressures easing somewhat, though the January CPI reading ticked higher. The data could be key for Federal Reserve officials, who have said they are closely watching pricing data as they evaluate interest rate levels. 

Other inflation-related indicators scheduled for this week include wholesale pricing data Thursday with the Producer Price Index. The scheduled Friday release of March consumer sentiment data tracks consumer expectations of inflation, an indicator also followed by Fed officials.

The University of Michigan’s sentiment survey comes after recent reports have shown U.S. consumers are beginning to lose confidence in the economy amid tariff uncertainty and job loss fears. The NFIB small business sentiment survey scheduled for release Tuesday could also provide insights on how small businesses are evaluating economic conditions. 

Oracle, Adobe, and More To Report Earnings

Tech giant Oracle is set to kick off the week’s earnings on Monday, with analysts expecting rising revenue and profit after disappointing sales in the prior quarter. Oracle’s report comes as the cloud software provider joined a $500 billion joint venture with OpenAI and other tech firms to help build out AI infrastructure. 

Creative software leader Adobe is expected to follow Wednesday, with investors likely to be watching for signs its AI efforts are paying off, after reporting lower-than-expected revenue in the prior quarter and offering an underwhelming sales outlook. 

Retailers will also be in focus with several chains scheduled to report this week, including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Kohl’s, Ulta Beauty, Casey’s General Stores, and Dollar General. The results come as market participants watch for the impact of shifting trade policies and waning consumer confidence. 

CoreWeave, a cloud computing company backed by chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA), could also go public as soon as this week, in what is expected to be one of the biggest initial public offerings in recent years.