Stocks were up this week as the summer rally continues. There was mixed news from the tech sector this week, but on the whole, earnings have been better-than-expected. That trend will likely continue when many mega-cap technology stocks report next week. Continued capital expenditures in artificial intelligence are likely to be bullish for the sector.
Another big story this week was the finalization of a trade deal between the United States and Japan. However, tariff uncertainty still lingers, particularly with the Trump administration’s August 1 deadline looming. There’s a lot to be sorted out that could move markets.
Next week will be an important week for economic data. The Federal Reserve will issue its next decision on interest rates on Wednesday. The expectation is for no change in interest rates, but investors will look for any signal that a cut is coming in September. However, the bigger market mover may come from the July Jobs report on Friday.
