Wall St set to rise with Fed minutes, Nvidia results on tap this week By Reuters

By Ankika Biswas and Lisa Pauline Mattackal

(Reuters) -The main U.S. stock indexes were set for a higher open on Monday, with quarterly results from Nvidia (NASDAQ:) and the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting minutes due this week likely to test Wall Street’s record-breaking run.

The three major indexes marked their fourth straight week of gains on Friday, as upbeat corporate earnings and softer-than-expected inflation data supported hopes for interest rate cuts this year.

The benchmark and the tech-heavy Nasdaq both touched all-time highs last week, with the blue-chip Dow closing above the 40,000 level on Friday.

Deutsche Bank raised its year-end S&P 500 target to 5,500 from 5,100 points earlier, the highest among major brokerages, citing strength in corporate earnings. That implied a near 4% upside from the index’s last close.

Investors are keenly awaiting quarterly results from Nvidia on Wednesday for evidence that the AI chip leader can maintain its explosive growth and stay ahead of rivals. Minutes of the Fed’s latest monetary policy meeting are also scheduled for the same day.

“This week, the question of whether we’ve gone too far, too fast with this market move will be on the table,” said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA Research.

“If it (Nvidia results) continues to beat (markets expectations), but by lesser amounts, the stock’s advance will slow… but people will not be selling out anytime soon. We’re just at the beginning of an AI driven boom that will lift not just Nvidia but many other stocks.”

Nvidia shares rose 1.3% premarket, with at least three brokerages raising the stock’s price target.

With few clues so far from Fed officials on the timing for rate cuts this year, investors will parse remarks from rate-setters including Christopher Waller and Philip Jefferson during the day.

Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic said it will take a while for the U.S. central bank to be confident that inflation is on track for its 2% goal.

Traders expect a 74.3% chance of an at least 25 basis point rate cut in September, according to the CME’s FedWatch Tool.

On the economic data front, weekly initial jobless claims, S&P global flash PMI readings and durable goods data are due through the week.

At 8:35 a.m. ET, were up 21 points, or 0.05%, were up 6 points, or 0.11%, and were up 30.25 points, or 0.16%.

JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:) gained 0.6% as the company raised its 2024 interest income forecast to $91 billion.

Micron Technology (NASDAQ:) climbed 2% after Morgan Stanley upgraded the memory chipmaker to “equal-weight” from “underweight”.

Johnson Controls (NYSE:) International jumped 6% following a report that activist investor Elliott Investment Management had built a position worth over $1 billion in the building solutions provider.

Paramount Global climbed 2.6% after a report Sony (NYSE:) Pictures Entertainment and Apollo Global Management (NYSE:) have signed non-disclosure agreements to look at the U.S. media company’s books ahead of a potential bid for its assets.