Key Jobs Data, Retail Sales, Kraft Heinz and Cisco Earnings on Tap Next Week

Hundreds of companies are due to report earnings for the week of August 10, although most of the S&P 500 have reported. Mike Khouw and Jill Malandrino of Action Alerts OPTIONS point key economic data including: JOLTS (Job Openings and Labor Turnover) Survey, Retail Sales, Consumer Confidence, as well as Productivity and Costs, Treasury Budget, Jobless Claims, Imports and Exports, Business Inventories, PPI, and Industrial Production. In addition, Atlanta Federal Reserve President, Dennis Lockhart, will be giving a speech in Atlanta. Energy is weak and will continue to trade under pressure because supply and demand fundamentals are weak, especially with the potential of Iran bringing even more supply into the system. Kraft Heinz (KHC) reports on August 10 and this is a stock and sector Khouw and Malandrino are bullish on as M&A and private equity activity are picking up in Consumer Staples, which longer-term could mean a more efficient, higher margin industry and that bodes well for investors. On August 12, tech bellwether Cisco (CSCO) reports earnings and analysts are looking for strength in the quarter due to U.S. and European enterprise strength.