17 Feb. Week Ahead: Holiday, Earnings, Apple Event & More

The week of 17 February is here, and key financial and economic reports are due to be released despite the shorter trading week. 

From earnings to housing, explore this week’s events in this article:

US Market Holiday 

The trading week is shorter as US stock and bond markets are closed today, Monday, 17 February, for Presidents Day, otherwise known as George Washington’s Birthday. 

Major US exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq are closed for trading activity in celebration of the first US president. 

This is just one of this year’s upcoming market holidays, and you can explore the others in more depth through our article titled “Stock Market Holidays 2025: All You Need to Know.”

More Earnings Reports

This week, more earnings will be released from retail giants like Walmart (WMT) and tech leaders like Alibaba (BABA).

Here’s what you can expect from each of these big names: 

Walmart 

Walmart is scheduled to report earnings on Thursday, 20 February, and is expected to show a YoY earnings growth and higher revenues. 

Quarterly earnings per share (EPS) is expected to land in at $0.64 (+6.7% YoY increase), while revenues are expected to reach $179.25 billion (+3.4% YoY increase). (Source: Yahoo Finance)

In its recent earnings report, the company showed strong e-commerce and advertising revenues, and it will be interesting to see if it can keep this momentum in the upcoming report.

Alibaba

Alibaba is also scheduled to report earnings this Thursday. The Chinese e-commerce giant is projected to show a Q4 drop of 34% YoY. Still, AI is expected to drive Alibaba’s stock higher this year, especially since the company confirmed that it “will partner with Apple to deliver AI features to iPhones in China.”

Besides the above, traders and investors may want to keep track of the following earnings reports:

• Tuesday, 18 February: Arista Networks, Medtronic, Cadence, and Baidu. 

• Wednesday, 19 February: HSBC.

• Thursday, 20 February: Rivian and Live Nation. 

Apple Product Launch

Tech behemoth Apple is set to debut its first new product in 2025 on Wednesday, 19 February. The expectation is that Apple will reveal its new iPhone SE. 

The event can be substantial for tech lovers and traders alike as it can potentially shift the company’s share price. However, it is important to note that these are all projections, and only time will tell what actually happens.

UK CPI

The UK’s consumer price index (CPI) report for January is set to be released this Wednesday. The data is expected to show that CPI dropped to 2.4% in January. While this drop may be welcomed by many, it is important to keep in mind that it is still above the Bank of England’s (BOE) 2% target range, which means that inflation is still taking a toll on the UK’s economy. 

Other Key Reports

Market watchers are likely to keep an eye on the following economic reports:

Tuesday, 18 February:

• US Homebuilder Confidence Index

• US Empire State Manufacturing survey

Wednesday, 19 February:

• Housing starts/ Building permits 

• FOMC minutes 

Thursday, 20 February:

• US initial jobless claims 

• Philadelphia Fed manufacturing survey 

• US leading economic indicators

• Remarks from St. Louis Fed President (Alberto Musalem) and Chicago Fed President (Austan Goolsbee)

Friday, 21 February:

• S&P flash US Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)

• US consumer sentiment 

• US existing home sales

What will the data reveal about the world’s largest economy?

Conclusion

Despite being a shorter trading week, this week is set to be eventful. Reports from the world’s largest economies will be revealed, providing market participants with much-needed insights into what may be ahead. 

*Past performance does not reflect future results.