Wall Street Week Ahead

Wall Street faces a week with fresh inflation data, hedge fund holdings, and several major technology events expected to shape investor sentiment. The economic calendar is highlighted by Wednesday's Consumer Price Index for July, followed by Thursday's Producer Price Index and Friday's retail sales figures. Economists expect core CPI inflation to ease to 2.5%, while the reports will offer investors fresh clues on the Federal Reserve's policy path after the stronger-than-expected July jobs report. Institutional investment managers will disclose their latest holdings through 13F reports. Analysts will be looking for notable portfolio changes in stocks, including Nvidia, Meta Platforms, Tesla, CoreWeave, and Corning. Earnings season continues with Applied Materials reporting Thursday. Investors will be looking for updates on semiconductor equipment demand and AI-related capital spending after another busy quarter for chipmakers. Other notable companies reporting include Rocket Lab, Archer Aviation, CoreWeave, CAVA, Cisco, Coherent, JD.com, and Pershing Square. Technology remains in focus throughout the week. Google will unveil its latest Pixel smartphones on Wednesday, while Amazon's Zoox begins charging fares for robotaxi rides in Las Vegas on Monday. AI investors will also be watching presentations at the Needham AI Infrastructure Conference and other technology conferences taking place during the week. Elsewhere, Netflix will stream the MLB at Field of Dreams game Thursday night, marking another high-profile sports broadcast for the streaming giant, while Electronic Arts launches Madden NFL 27. Earnings spotlight: Monday, August 10: Simon Property Group, Plug Power. Earnings spotlight: Tuesday, August 11: Cardinal Health, CoreWeave, Super Micro Computer. Earnings spotlight: Wednesday, August 12: Tencent, Cisco. Earnings spotlight: Thursday, August 13: Applied Materials. Michael Burry warns of 1987-style crash Greenlight's Einhorn says SpaceX IPO may signal market peak Dividend Roundup: Apple, UPS, Kraft Heinz, IBM, and more Palantir short sellers sustain $3B loss Crickets in the crypto casino Megacap stocks that have maintained bullish Quant ratings the longest The most resilient businesses often generate value through more than what meets the eye. In the following linked article, Brad Thomas explores how McDonald's franchise model, real estate holdings, and recurring cash flows have helped build a business designed for long-term growth and shareholder returns. McDonald's is often viewed as a fast-food chain, but the author argues its true strength lies in its franchise and real estate model. With roughly 95% of restaurants franchised, McDonald's generates high-margin recurring revenue through royalties and rent while franchisees manage day-to-day operations. This asset-light structure has enabled consistent earnings growth, strong cash generation, and nearly five decades of consecutive dividend increases. Recent results showed solid comparable sales growth, expanding operating income, and growing loyalty program sales, while the stock no...