Investing.com - Here are the top five things you need to know in financial markets on Tuesday, August 1:
1. Apple due to report earnings
There are dozens of earnings reports on the docket today, with most of the focus on Apple(NASDAQ:AAPL)'s results due after the closing bell.
The tech giant is expected to report adjusted earnings of $1.57 per share on revenue of $44.89 billion in the June quarter, according to analyst estimates. More importantly, investors will be looking for details on the iPhone 8 and its release date.
Besides Apple, companies such as Pfizer (NYSE:PFE), Sprint (NYSE:S), Under Armour (NYSE:UA), Lumber Liquidators (NYSE:LL), Shopify (NYSE:SHOP), Cummins (NYSE:CMI) and Royal Caribbean (NYSE:RCL) will post results ahead of the opening bell.
Herbalife (NYSE:HLF), Allstate (NYSE:ALL), Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH), Coherent (NASDAQ:COHR), FireEye (NASDAQ:FEYE) and SunPower (NASDAQ:SPWR) are due after the close.
2. Key batch of U.S. data ahead
Market players looked ahead to a key batch of U.S. economic data to gauge the strength of the world's largest economy and how it will impact the Federal Reserve's view on monetary policy.
The U.S. is to release reports on personal income and consumer spending for June, which include the personal consumption expenditures inflation data, the Fed's preferred metric for inflation, at 8:30AM ET (1230GMT).
At 10:00AM ET (14:00GMT), the ISM will publish its manufacturing survey for July. Data on construction spending and auto sales are also on the agenda.
The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was at 92.80 in early trade after touching a 14-month low of 92.63 on Monday.
Uncertainty on the U.S. political front was seen as weighing on the greenback, after President Donald Trump ousted White House communications chief Anthony Scaramucci just over a week after naming him to the job on Monday.
3. Global stocks mostly higher
Global stock markets pushed higher, supported by better-than-expected corporate results and signs that the global economy is chugging along.
Asian shares ended mostly in positive territory, buoyed by stronger-than-expected China Caixin manufacturing PMI data.
In Europe, better earnings at financial firms and oil giant BP (LON:BP) lifted shares.
Meanwhile, U.S. stock futures pointed to a higher open on Wall Street, with the blue-chip Dow futures up 112 points, or 0.5%, on pace to hit another record high.
The S&P 500 futures ticked up 8 points, or about 0.3%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 futures rose 30 points, or roughly 0.5%.
4. Oil prices rise for seventh day in a row
Oil prices continued higher, extending gains into a seventh session as investors cheered ongoing signs that the global market was starting to rebalance.
U.S. crude was last at $50.38 a barrel, up 21 cents. It touched its highest since May 25 at $50.41 earlier. Brent oil tacked on 16 cents to hit a more than two-month peak of $52.87 a barrel.
Investors looked ahead to weekly data from the U.S. on stockpiles of crude and refined products. Industry group the American Petroleum Institute is due to release its weekly report at 4:30PM ET (2030GMT), amid expectations for a decline of around 3.0 million barrels.
5. Euro zone economic growth remains robust in Q2
Eurostat said gross domestic product in the 19-country currency bloc increased 0.6% on the quarter and 2.1% on the year, mostly in line with forecasts.
In annualized terms, the euro zone economy expanded 2.3% in the second quarter, giving the ECB more ground for tightening its monetary policy in autumn.
In a separate release, IHS Markit said its final manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index dipped to 56.6 from June's six-year high of 57.4, slightly down from a flash estimate of 56.8.
The euro was a shade lower at 1.1818 against the dollar, after touching a two-and-a-half year high of 1.1845 overnight (EUR/USD).