Artificial IntelligenceNASDAQ:AMZN
Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) Shares Top $200 as Amazon Pushes Higher AI Investment
NVIDIA Corporation ended Friday’s session at $200.75, rising 2.9%. Over the week, however, the stock declined 2.9%.
Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) Shares Top $200 as Amazon Pushes Higher AI Investment
NVIDIA Corporation ended Friday’s session at $200.75, rising 2.9%. Over the week, however, the stock declined 2.9%.
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Artificial Intelligence
Artificial IntelligenceCloud Computing
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) rises 15% with AWS margins buoying $220 billion AI investment plan
Amazon closed at $271.58 on Friday, jumping 15.3%. The gain far outpaced the wider market. U.S. cash markets did not open on Sunday.
Artificial IntelligenceCloud Computing
Cloud Revenue Highlights Divide in AI Stock Selloff, Separating Market Winners and Losers
U.S. cash markets did not open on Sunday following a turbulent AI-driven week that finished up. Investors favored clear cloud revenue growth while penalizing…
Artificial IntelligenceEnergy
NextEra Energy (NYSE:NEE) Shares Drop 3.2% While AI Power Project Remains Pending Final Approvals
NextEra Energy ended Friday's session at $86.92, a decline of 1.15%. Over the past five sessions, the stock dropped 3.2%. U.S. markets did not…
Artificial IntelligenceNASDAQ:IREN
IREN Limited (NASDAQ:IREN) Closes the Week Unchanged After Volatility as AI Contracts Move to Fulfillment
IREN Limited finished a turbulent week little changed. Shareholders are now focused on a delivery challenge.
Artificial IntelligenceNYSE:NOK
Nokia Oyj (HEL:NOKIA) Shares Fall by Week’s Close as €2.8 Billion AI Order Intake Raises Liquidity Concerns
Nokia closed the week down 3.2%, capping days of swings, even after a favorable rating update. Cash conversion remains a key challenge.
Artificial IntelligenceNASDAQ:AAPL
S&P 500 Rises 1% Over the Week While AI Impact Leads to Mixed Results Among Major Tech Stocks
Wall Street advanced last week, yet the market rally heightened scrutiny of AI investments. Investors favored strong cloud earnings, while companies with poor cash…
TechStock² • U.S. MARKET
US Stock Market Forecast: Week Ahead
Last updated August 1, 2026 • 05:36 ET / 11:36 CEST • U.S. markets are closed
S&P 500
7,489.72
+1.0% last week
Nasdaq
25,373.85
+1.6% last week
Dow Jones
52,485.03
+1.0% last week
Russell 2000
2,931.34
Less than +0.1% last week
Wall Street moves into August showing a modest positive trend, but stops short of a decisive surge higher. The S&P 500 rose 1.0% over the past week, ending the period 1.6% under its June 2 all-time high. The Nasdaq advanced 1.6%, as small cap stocks remained mostly unchanged.
Near-term bias
Neutral to positive
Neutral to positive
Ideally, hiring remains steady and wage increases stay limited. Strong jobs data may push Treasury yields and rate-hike expectations higher. A significant disappointment could fuel worries about economic growth.
The recovery remains limited in scope
Friday highlighted underlying tension. The S&P 500 climbed 0.7%, yet losing stocks surpassed gainers by 1.3 to 1. A handful of major firms powered the index higher. July ended with the Nasdaq falling 3.2%.
Distance to record
1.6%
The S&P 500 is still near levels that could prompt another test, though broader market participation is needed.
Forward valuation
20×
Projected earnings stand at about 19 times the 10-year average.
Q2 profit growth
+29.3%
S&P 500 earnings growth after adjustments, covering both reported figures and latest projections.
US 10-year yield
4.745%
Friday’s session ended with higher yields continuing to weigh on equity multiples.
September hike odds
67%
Probability of a 25 basis point hike by the Federal Reserve as priced in by the market.
VIX close
15.99
The index slid 6.44% on Friday, even as several individual stocks posted significant swings.
Fed rate: 3.50%–3.75%
The central bank left rates unchanged with a 9–3 vote, as three members called for an immediate quarter-point hike.
Core PCE: 3.3% year on year
Inflation is still higher than the 2% target, making robust labour numbers more difficult for equities to digest.
Leadership division persists
Small caps remain ahead in 2026, yet they missed last week’s rally. The divergence is notable. Sustained gains typically require participation beyond megacaps.
Russell 2000
+18.1%
S&P 500
+9.4%
Nasdaq
+9.2%
Dow Jones
+9.2%
Returns from the beginning of the year up to July 31, 2026. Bar scale ranges from 0% to 20%.
Coming up: August 3–7
The jobs report is the primary focus. Over one in four S&P 500 companies are scheduled to announce results, maintaining elevated single-stock volatility.
August 3
Monday
ISM manufacturing: Expected at 54.0, compared with 53.3 in June.
After markets shut: Palantir (NASDAQ:PLTR).
August 4
Tuesday
Trade deficit: Forecast at $73.0 billion, compared to $77.6 billion.
Job openings: Forecast at 7.5 million, compared to 7.6 million.
Results: Merck (NYSE:MRK), Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT), AMD (NASDAQ:AMD) and SpaceX (NASDAQ:SPCX).
August 5
Wednesday
ADP jobs: Forecast stands at 75,000, compared with 98,000.
ISM services: Forecast at 54.4, compared to 54.0 previously.
Results: Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) reported earnings.
August 6
Thursday
Initial claims: Forecast was 200,000; actual result was 197,000.
Q2 productivity: Expectations were for 0.7%, compared with 0.3%.
August 7
Friday
Nonfarm payrolls: Forecast at 83,000, compared to 57,000 in June.
Unemployment: Expected at 4.3%, compared to 4.2%.
The wage data could prove just as significant as the overall jobs number.
Three possible market directions
Bull case
Record retest
Payrolls come in around 83,000, with unemployment remaining near 4.3% and Treasury yields slipping from 4.745%. Major companies post strong earnings, supporting the current earnings narrative. The S&P 500 now needs to climb just 1.6% to recover.
Base case
Uneven consolidation
Index gains are underpinned by profit growth, yet a 20-times multiple and 67% chance of a rate hike curb further upside. Major growth stocks are at the forefront, while broader market participation stays uneven.
Bear case
Rates take control
If hiring or wages heat up, oil prices remain high and the 10-year yield climbs, markets may face added strain. A disappointing earnings result from a leading AI or industrial firm could intensify selling, and last week’s gains could be erased.
Risks involved
WTI crude settled at $84.67 on Friday, while Brent ended at $90.12. Fresh tensions between the US and Iran could push energy prices higher and increase inflation forecasts. Rising bond yields may heighten valuation pressures, while a dense earnings calendar adds to gap risk among the biggest index components.
Perspective from investors
The 1.0% weekly rise should not be taken as widespread confirmation. A clearer indication will come next week if yields drop and participation increases. Absent both, any attempt at a record high could stay vulnerable.
Artificial IntelligenceEarnings Reports
SoundHound AI Shares (NASDAQ:SOUN) Close Unchanged Ahead of Earnings as Revenue Estimates Climb
SoundHound AI, Inc. closed at $6.13 on Friday, slipping 0.5% over the last week. Despite the steady close, the company faces a significant sales…
Artificial IntelligenceNASDAQ:AAPL
U.S. stocks climb as AI-driven surge sidesteps small caps
U.S. equities finished up on Friday, with technology and consumer sectors posting the strongest gains. The S&P 500 advanced 0.70%, and the Nasdaq rose…
Artificial IntelligenceCloud Computing
Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) rises 5% on Moonshot report highlighting AI-cloud synergy
Alibaba Group Holding Limited ended Friday’s session up 5.1% at $122.28. The stock gained after a report connected its cloud infrastructure to Moonshot’s artificial…
Artificial IntelligenceNYSE:LYV
Live Nation (NYSE:LYV) drops as Ticketmaster’s AI initiative raises concerns over privacy and outages
Shares of Live Nation declined by 5.4% on Friday even after reporting stronger-than-expected quarterly revenue. The drop renewed scrutiny on Ticketmaster’s business model and…
Artificial IntelligenceNASDAQ:NVDA
Palantir’s AI Strategy Encounters 41-Times-Sales Challenge
Palantir shares held steady on Friday as CEO Alex Karp intensified his criticism of low-cost artificial intelligence. The stock is set for a more…
Artificial IntelligenceEarnings Reports
US Stocks Hold Steady Midday Amid AI-Driven Gains, Treasury Yield Stands at 4.73%
U.S. equities gave up the bulk of their initial gains by midday on Friday as rising Treasury yields offset positive momentum from strong cloud…
Artificial IntelligenceNASDAQ:FCUV
Focus Universal (NASDAQ:FCUV) surges 651% following AI rollout, surpasses adjusted warrant strike price
Nasdaq markets were trading at the time of writing. Focus Universal Inc. advanced to $14.12 after introducing an automated platform for business documents. Shares…
Artificial IntelligenceCloud Computing
Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) Cloud Profit Lift Pushes Nasdaq Futures Higher, Redefining Wall Street’s AI Benchmark
U.S. stock futures rose on Friday, driven by gains in Amazon’s cloud segment that offset Apple’s softer outlook. The Nasdaq 100 outperformed. The main…
Artificial IntelligenceNASDAQ:MRVL
Marvell (NASDAQ:MRVL) shares rise 21% as hyperscalers boost AI investments
Marvell stock rose 7.7% in premarket trade to $197.40, before the start of regular U.S. trading hours.