The first of the major retailers will report quarterly earnings this week. Analysts expect to see strong results from Macy's and Penney, but flat earnings from Kohl's. Agilent may be one of this week's biggest earnings gainers.
Calling all investors: You'll want to pay close attention in the days ahead. The mid-term elections, FOMC meeting, retail sales figures, an update on the labor market and more earnings from Toyota, Starbucks and more could set the stage for quite an interesting week on Wall Street.
Dozens of companies report earnings this week, and analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters are anticipating lots of strong quarterly reports. Among those posting improved results should be Microsoft and Visa. However, likely to post losses are Office Depot and Sprint Nextel.
These are among the big-name companies posting third-quarter results this week. Analysts are looking for increased profit growth from all of them. Also on tap: Producer prices, consumer sentiment and consumer prices.
Alcoa, Marriott and Yum! Brands to kick off the third-quarter earnings season with modest earnings growth, while jobs numbers could be mixed.
Pharmacy giant Walgreen's earnings are expected to be flat year-over-year, while Family Dollar Stores and electronics manufacturer Jabil Circuit are expected to post earnings gains.
Housing data is in the financial spotlight this week, along with an FOMC meeting, the leading economic indicators index and quarterly reports from a number of companies including Adobe, AutoZone and Lennar.
Tiffany & Co. is among the few S&P 500 companies reporting results this week and is expected to shine. The jeweler released an iPhone app and boosted its dividend in the quarter. Canadian banks are expected to post earnings growth as well.
The earnings spotlight falls on retailers this week, and expectations are high for many of them, including Abercrombie & Fitch and Dollar Tree, which has benefited from the recession and slow recovery.
Ousted Hewlett-Packard CEO Mark Hurd may be disgraced, but his bank account isn't. He's leaving the company with a severance package worth approximately $28 million in cash and stock.
