What to Expect in Markets This Week: Costco, Other Consumer Companies Report; U.S. Central Bankers Hit the Conference Circuit
What to Expect in Markets This Week: Costco, Other Consumer Companies Report; U.S. Central Bankers Hit the Conference Circuit
Sarina TrangleSun, September 20, 2026 at 9:00 AM UTC
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Costco is slated to hand in quarterly results this week.Credit: Zak Bennett / Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Fed ended months of speculation when it raised interest rates last week. With that round of uncertainty resolved, Wall Street may shift its focus back to more everyday matters, such as fuel and food sales—at least, partly.
Costco Wholesale could provide clues on how consumers are faring when it hands in its quarterly results. Drivers turned to the warehouse club as gas prices shot up, buying a record amount of its discounted fuel last quarter. Oil and gas prices are climbing again, though a surge in gas sales doesn’t always translate into more in-club spending, Costco has said.
Major food and dining companies are also slated to report, including General Mills, Cracker Barrel, and Darden Restaurants, which operates Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse. General Mills, known for Cheerios and Cocoa Puffs, warned of “significant consumer stress” earlier this year and cut its outlook. Still, some restaurant chains have had recent success with value-focused options.
Updates from other sectors are also on the docket. Meta Platforms may provide fresh insight on its AI strategy at a developer conference, while AutoZone’s results may shed light on how the trade war with Canada is impacting the vehicle and car part industry.
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And don’t worry: There will be plenty for Fed watchers to feast on, too. Several events may appeal to those still thinking about the Fed’s first rate hike in three years: Five monetary policymakers are slated to speak at conferences over the course of the week.
Market Recap
Two of the three major stock indexes logged losses last week, with the Dow industrials posting a 1.7% five-day decline at 1.7% and the S&P 500 edging lower. Jitters spread through the tech trade after Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei called for the AI industry to slow development and address safety issues, though the Nasdaq ended the week modestly higher. Continued fighting in the Middle East also weighed on stocks. For more, read Friday’s market recap here.
This Week’s Top Events
Here’s a look at major events in the week ahead. TradingView publishes a more detailed calendar, but clicking the link will take you off the Investopedia site.
Monday, Sep. 21: Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee will speak at a forum in London, beginning at 6:30 a.m. ET. The Chicago Fed will livestream his remarks. Other Fed officials are slated to speak at conferences this week, including New York Fed President John Williams, Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson, Philadelphia Fed Chair Anna Paulson and Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack.
Tuesday, Sep. 22: AutoZone (AZO) is set to share its fiscal fourth-quarter results before the opening bell, followed by a conference call at 10 a.m. ET. Ottawa last month announced retaliatory tariffs against the U.S., and the White House responded by threatening to increase the tariff rate to 50% on vehicles and car parts from Canada.
Wednesday, Sep. 23: General Mills (GIS) is slated to release its fiscal first-quarter results and hold a question-and-answer session at 9 a.m. ET.
Wednesday: Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (CBRL) is scheduled to publish its fiscal fourth-quarter results before the opening bell and host a conference call at 8:15 a.m. ET. The chain surprised analysts by posting a profit last quarter and raising its forecast.
Wednesday: Meta Platforms (META) CEO Mark Zuckerberg is slated to speak at the social media company’s conference at 7 p.m. ET. His remarks, which may include updates on Meta’s AI strategy, will be streamed. The company may also introduce smart glasses that don’t include a camera, according to reports. Meta has faced backlash after people used its AI glasses to covertly record others.
Thursday, Sep. 24: BlackBerry (BB) is set to share its fiscal second-quarter results and host a conference call at 8 a.m. ET.
Thursday: Darden Restaurants (DRI) is scheduled to publish its fiscal first-quarter results before the opening bell and host a conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET.
Thursday: Costco Wholesale (COST) is slated to release its fiscal fourth-quarter results at 4:15 p.m. ET, followed by a conference call at 5 p.m. ET. This summer, the warehouse club reported a deceleration in sales growth for the first time in months.
More Investopedia Reads
Some experts argue Fed rate hikes can’t address the primary causes of inflation, Diccon Hyatt reports. Bond yields almost always rise in the wake of a Fed rate increase, Crystal Kim writes. The Medicare landscape will change in 2027, with Part B premiums rising and Part D subsidies sunsetting, Elizabeth Guevara reports. And New Census data revealed record household income last year.
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Source: “AOL Money”
