Wall Street to Start a Very Crucial Week

We have a highly consequential week on tap for the markets. Aside from it being another Jobs Week — with ADP private-sector payrolls and JOLTS numbers Wednesday, and the Economic Situation report Friday — we have the next Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting starting tomorrow and ending Wednesday afternoon. There are also more than 1200 companies reporting earnings this week. Indices are out of the ditch they found themselves a week and a half ago, but can they keep climbing?
Of course, everyone knows interest rates will stay where they are. Even though, as of the first of the year, we were likely going to see our first or maybe second quarter-point rate cut from the Fed, but economic prints throughout the first three-plus months of 2024 have been exceptionally stout, overall. Even while overall trends are still flat-to-down, there does no seem to be any justification for cutting rates and risking more inflation creep to make its way back into our economy.
Domino's Pizza DPZ is out with Q1 earnings this morning. The company beat estimates on both top and bottom lines — earnings of $3.58 per share on quarterly revenues of $1.085 billion outpaced the $3.36 per share and $1.080 billion, respectively. The marks +15.9% year over year sales growth, while same-store sales for the quarter grew +5.6%, ahead of the +3.1% anticipated. Shares are up more than +4% in today's early trading, adding to its +21% gains year to date.
On Semiconductor ON also beat expectations on its top and bottom lines this morning. Earnings of $1.08 per share surpassed the Zacks consensus by 4 cents, while $1.863 billion in revenues swept past the $1.85 billion analysts were looking for. Gross margins grew +45.9% for the quarter, although next-quarter estimates are lower for both sales and earnings. Investors are buying the story, however: +1% in pre-market trading, after having sold off -16% year to date.
Chinese solar energy major JinkoSolar JKS released a mixed Q1 report ahead of the bell. A better-than-expected ADR loss of -39 cents (from -44 cents expected) joined a revenue tally of $3.19 billion in the quarter, shy of the $3.27 billion in the Zacks consensus. The company has given guidance on solar modules shipped: 24-26 gigawatts for Q2, 100-110 GW for the full year. Shares are up +4% on the news, after having sold off a precipitous -31% since the start of the year.
U.S. personal finance company SoFi SOFI beat Q1 estimates on both top and bottom. Earnings of +$0.02 per share came in ahead of the +$0.01 expected (and -$0.05 reported in the year-ago quarter) on $645 million in quarterly revenues, easily cruising past the $567.2 million anticipated, up +37% year over year. Mild full-year revenue guidance — in line with previous expectations, despite the Q1 beat — are sending shares down -3% in today's early trading, adding to the stock's -18% decline year to date.
Later this week, we'll see earnings reports after the close from Amazon AMZN and Apple AAPL and — two of the largest companies on the planet, but that which have not performed anywhere near as well this year than they did in 2023. After today's close, we'll see quarterly results from NXP Semiconductor NXPI and Yum China YUMC. These will give us insights for both the chip-manufacturing space and take the temperature of the average Chinese consumer.
The important market reports don't stop there, however. A new Case-Shiller home prices survey comes out tomorrow morning, with ISM Services and Manufacturing releases at different times this week. Also, Trade Deficit figures and Productivity/Unit Labor Costs for Q1 hit the tape. In all, a smorgasbord of data that will help us understand how quickly the economy is moving in a particular direction. Keep in mind: weaker-than-expected numbers in this data would increase the chance of a Fed rate cut sooner.

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