US stock market outlook: S&P 500, Nasdaq, Dow Jones performance to be driven by three critical factors from July 21. Details here

US stock market indexes S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow Jones will have testing time at Wall Street on Monday as companies' earnings season heats up. S&P 500 has climbed about 7 per cent so far this year and the critical index surged 26 per cent since April. While major companies will announce their earnings reports, investors will follow developments on the US Tariffs deadline. Looking ahead to next week, traders will be eyeing Fed Chair Jerome Powell's remarks on Tuesday at a conference in Washington. On Friday, S&P 500 dropped 0.57 points, or less than 0.1 per cent, to 6,296.79, Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 142.30 points, or 0.3 per cent, to 44,342.19 and Nasdaq composite rose 10.01 points, or less than 0.1 per cent, to 20,895.66. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies was down by 13.68 points, or 0.6 per cent, to 2,240.01.

Alphabet, Tesla, Coca-Cola Earnings

Momentum for the industrials sector and the broader market will be in focus with a heavy upcoming week of second-quarter earnings, which includes reports from more than one-fifth of the S&P 500, led by Alphabet and Tesla, the first of the "Magnificent Seven" megacap tech and growth companies to report.


A number of industrials will be in the earnings spotlight as well. Aerospace and defense stocks have boosted the sector's performance this year, driven by heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and Ukraine and fresh spending commitments by Germany and other nations.

"Investors are gearing up for next week," said Peter Cardillo of Spartan Capital Securities, noting that major brands like Coca-Cola, Tesla and Mattel are set to report their earnings.

US Tariff Announcement

Beyond earnings, Wall Street will continue to focus on any developments on trade ahead of August 1, when higher U.S. tariffs on numerous trading partners are set to take effect.

Traders will be looking for more clarity on Financial Times report on Friday that US President Donald Trump is pushing for a minimum tariff of 15-20 percent on European Union products in any deal with the bloc. This would mark a higher level than the 10 percent added tariff the EU -- and most other US trading partners -- are facing.

US Fed Interest Rate Meet

Investors will also be sensitive to news on the Federal Reserve, with Fed Chair Jerome Powell facing fresh pressure from Trump to resign as the president presses the central bank to lower interest rates. The Fed's next monetary policy meeting is July 29-30.

The market has shown resilience despite "an incredible amount of uncertainty," said Eric Kuby, chief investment officer at North Star Investment Management Corp. "We continue to be surprised at how well stocks are trading given a lot of what would seem to be significant headwinds," Kuby said.

FAQs

Q1. What are key indexes of US Stock Market?
A1. Key indexes of US Stock Market are S&P 500, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, and Russell 2000.

Q2. When will US tariffs will be effective from?
A2. August 1 is when higher U.S. tariffs on numerous trading partners are set to take effect.