The Week Ahead: Fed Speakers, Consumer Sentiment and Earnings Set Stock Market Tone

Sep 20, 2026
the-week-ahead:-fed-speakers,-consumer-sentiment-and-earnings-set-stock-market-tone

No reports scheduled

Tuesday, September 22

Earnings Before the Open

AutoZone (AZO), est. $54.30 per share

MillerKnoll (MLKN), est. $0.35 per share

Thor Industries (THO), est. $0.89 per share

Economic Releases

12:15 GMT, ADP Weekly Employment Change, prior 16.3K

14:00 GMT, Richmond Manufacturing Index, forecast 5 (prior 4)

Earnings After the Close

KB Home (KBH), est. $0.89 per share

Worthington Enterprises (WOR), est. $0.75 per share

Wednesday, September 23

Earnings Before the Open

Cintas (CTAS), est. $1.35 per share

Cracker Barrel (CBRL), est. $0.16 per share

General Mills (GIS), est. $0.72 per share

Paychex (PAYX), est. $1.32 per share

Economic Releases

13:45 GMT, Flash Manufacturing PMI, forecast 53.4 (prior 53.9)

13:45 GMT, Flash Services PMI, forecast 56.0 (prior 56.5)

14:30 GMT, Crude Oil Inventories, prior -0.6M

Earnings After the Close

H.B. Fuller (FUL), est. $1.47 per share

Stitch Fix (SFIX), est. -0.06 per share

Thursday, September 24

Earnings Before the Open

Darden Restaurants (DRI), est. $2.05 per share

TD Synnex (SNX), est. $4.68 per share

Darden, the Olive Garden parent, is expected to report fiscal 2027 first-quarter earnings of $2.05 per share, up 4.1% from a year earlier, on revenue of $3.2 billion, up 6.7%. UBS analyst Dennis Geiger expects solid same-store-sales trends and an intact earnings outlook despite select macro pressures. Investor sentiment is skewed negative on weak Olive Garden same-store sales, while LongHorn remains positive.

Economic Releases

12:30 GMT, Unemployment Claims, forecast 201K (prior 196K)

12:30 GMT, Current Account, forecast -259B (prior -227B)

14:00 GMT, New Home Sales, forecast 619K (prior 607K)

14:30 GMT, Natural Gas Storage, prior 44B

Earnings After the Close

Costco Wholesale (COST), est. $6.53 per share

BlackBerry (BB), est. $0.04 per share

FedEx Freight (FDXF), est. $1.39 per share

Costco is expected to report fiscal fourth-quarter earnings of $6.53 per share, up 11.2% from a year earlier, on revenue of $94.9 billion, up 10.1%. Oppenheimer analyst Rupesh Parikh said core earnings could again fall short of Street forecasts excluding tariff-refund benefits. He maintained an Outperform rating and said weakness in the shares represents a buying opportunity.

Friday, September 25

Earnings Before the Open

No reports scheduled

Economic Releases

12:30 GMT, Core Durable Goods Orders m/m, forecast 0.5% (prior 0.4%)

12:30 GMT, Durable Goods Orders m/m, forecast -0.3% (prior 1.1%)

14:00 GMT, Revised UoM Consumer Sentiment, forecast 47.5 (prior 47.8)

14:00 GMT, Revised UoM Inflation Expectations, prior 4.6%

Earnings After the Close

No reports scheduled

Central Bank Activity

Monday, September 21

  •   Austan Goolsbee (FOMC Member), 10:30 GMT

Tuesday, September 22

  • John Williams (FOMC Member), 14:05 GMT
  • Philip Jefferson (FOMC Member), 14:20 GMT
  • Thomas Barkin (FOMC Member), 17:00 GMT

Wednesday, September 23

  • Michael Barr (FOMC Member), 14:05 GMT

Thursday, September 24

  • John Williams (FOMC Member), 08:10 GMT
  • Beth Hammack (FOMC Member), 12:50 GMT
  • Anna Paulson (FOMC Member), 14:10 GMT

Friday, September 25

  • John Williams (FOMC Member), 09:15 GMT
  • Beth Hammack (FOMC Member), 18:00 GMT

Wall Street will watch the 10 appearances for hints about the path for interest rates after the September rate hike. The Fed’s projections included another expected increase before year-end, while officials remained divided over the need for further tightening in 2027.

Technical Outlook

Weekly Dow Jones Industrial Average Index

S&P 500: 7,650.50 (-0.08%), support at 7,565.31, 7,527.28, 7,507.77, 7,313.92, 7,237.85, the 52-week SMA at 7,092.96, 7,066.81, 6,889.83 and 6,316.91, resistance at 7,662.24 and 7,816.70.

All major indices remain above rising 52-week SMAs, confirming an intact long-term uptrend.

Outlook

Friday’s revised consumer-sentiment and inflation-expectations data are the week’s main economic event. Flash PMIs, durable-goods orders, jobless claims, housing data, Darden and Costco will provide the other scheduled catalysts.

Traders will monitor the Fed speakers for the policy path after the September hike and Friday’s consumer-sentiment data for inflation concerns. Holding the listed weekly support levels would maintain the long-term uptrend, while a break below them would put the indices under pressure.

More Information in our Economic Calendar.

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