Wall Street week ahead: monthly jobs report, McDonald's and SpaceX earnings

• Former Fed official Kevin Warsh highlighted significant discrepancies in how the Federal Reserve measures inflation, questioning whether the actual rate is 3.7% or 2.2%. • In separate retail news, Costco has reached a $14 million email settlement, allowing eligible customers to claim payments up to $500 by the August 24 deadline.

• ENGIE has raised its 2026 outlook following strong financial results for the first half of the year. • The company reported CapEx of EUR 22.9 billion, driven largely by the EUR 19 billion acquisition of UK Power Networks.

• Two Federal Reserve officials dissented against the decision to hold interest rates steady, arguing that a rate hike was necessary to combat elevated inflation. • The internal conflict over monetary policy intensified during Kevin Warsh’s second meeting as chairman of the Federal Reserve.

• Wall Street is bracing for a critical week featuring major corporate earnings reports from companies including McDonald's and SpaceX. • Investors are closely monitoring the upcoming monthly jobs report to gauge the health of the U.S. labor market amid slowing growth.

• The Bank of Thailand reported that the overall Thai economy experienced a clear slowdown during the second quarter of 2026 compared to the first quarter. • This development was highlighted in the July 31, 2026, market roundup by Kaohoon International, which tracks significant shifts in both domestic and foreign stock markets.

• Eurozone inflation rose slightly to 2.9% in July, according to the latest data released by Eurostat. • This uptick indicates a persistent challenge in stabilizing prices across the European currency bloc.

• UK Prime Minister Burnham has launched a "policy blitz," introducing a series of rapid initiatives to address immediate governance goals. • This strategic surge of policy announcements is intended to create political momentum and buy time before the administration must tackle more difficult, contentious decisions.

• The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) has initiated a new monetary tightening cycle as of early August 2026 to combat persistent inflation. • Market analysts now widely expect additional interest rate hikes in September and December to further suppress domestic demand.

• The KOSPI index recorded its largest single-day percentage gain in history on Friday, surpassing a previous record set during the 2008 financial crisis. • The rally was driven by surges in Samsung and SK Hynix, fueled by strong AI-driven optimism and positive U.S. tech earnings reports from Wall Street.

• Eurozone inflation rose to 2.9% in July, though price pressures varied significantly across different member states. • The Netherlands saw the sharpest monthly increase at 1.5%, followed by Germany (+0.9%) and France (+0.6%), while Greece (-1.4%) and Italy (-1.0%) experienced the steepest price drops.

• European markets rose midday Thursday as a surge in technology stocks fueled investor risk appetite. • The trend follows Wednesday's Federal Reserve decision, with short-term yields dropping to support tech valuations and weaken the U.S. dollar.