Cyber ​​Monday Sales; Labor market data; Earnings from Salesforce, CrowdStrike, and more

After a strong and short Thanksgiving week for US stocks, a busy schedule of economic indicators and corporate earnings awaits us.

November private sector payrolls could be a highlight, although market watchers will have to wait until later in December for the latest monthly government jobs report, which has been delayed due to the government shutdown. Reports on consumer credit and sentiment are also expected, along with new data on the manufacturing and services sectors.

Several major technology companies, including customer relationship management software leader Salesforce, cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike, and Marvell Technology, are set to report earnings this week. Reports from Dollar Tree and Dollar General stores can provide insights into consumer spending.

Read down to the bottom for our calendar of key events – and something else.

Cyber ​​Monday sales and sentiment data to highlight consumers

This is set to be another big week for retailers in America, with total online sales from the five-day period from Thanksgiving to Cyber ​​Monday expected to reach $78 billion, according to Salesforce.

Data scheduled for release on Friday could also shed light on how consumers feel, with the first reading of the University of Michigan Consumer Confidence Survey for December. Later Friday, the Federal Reserve’s consumer credit report could provide insight into how much debt American shoppers are carrying.

While some new data on private payrolls will become available this week, investors will have to wait a little longer for the government’s next monthly jobs report after its release was postponed to December 16. The ADP private sector employment report, scheduled for release on Wednesday, follows a stronger-than-expected report in October.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is scheduled to deliver remarks Monday evening amid growing optimism about cutting interest rates when the central bank meets the following week.

Major software names and dollar stores report this week

Salesforce’s earnings on Wednesday could inject more enthusiasm into the AI ​​business after the software provider set a strong revenue forecast that points to strong demand for its AI offerings. Custom semiconductor solutions provider Marvell Technology, database provider MongoDB, and data storage company Pure Storage are also scheduled to release results that could reflect an increase in AI-related demand.

Cybersecurity company CrowdStrike reported Tuesday after delivering a better-than-expected outlook for annual recurring revenue in the previous quarter. Security companies Snowflake and Okta are also scheduled to report this week. Results from Dollar Tree and Dollar General stores could provide further insights into changing consumer preferences.

Quick links: Summary of last week’s trading | Latest market news

This week’s calendar

Monday 1 December

• Cyber ​​Monday
• ISM Manufacturing PMI (November)
• More data to watch: Final US S&P Manufacturing PMI (November)
• Fed officials speak: Fed Chairman Jerome Powell
• Key Earnings: MongoDB (MDB)

Tuesday 2 December

• Fed officials speaking: Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman
• Key Earnings: CrowdStrike (CRWD), Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS), Marvell Technology (MRVL), Pure Storage (PSTG), Okta (OKTA), GitLab (GTLB)

Wednesday 3 December

• ADP Recruitment (November)
• More data to watch: Import Price Index (September), ISM Services PMI (November), and final S&P US Services PMI (November)
• Key Earnings: Salesforce (CRM), Royal Bank of Canada (RY), Snowflake (SNOW), Dollar Tree (DLTR)

Thursday 4 December

• Initial Jobless Claims (Week Ending November 29)
• Fed officials speaking: Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman
• Key Earnings: Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD), Bank of Montreal (BMO), Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM), Kroger (KR), Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE), Ulta Beauty (ULTA), Dollar General (DG)

Friday 5 December

• Consumer Sentiment – Preliminary (December)
• More data to watch: Consumer Credit (October)
• Key Earnings: Victoria’s Secret (VSCO)

Another thing

The holiday season is here, and if your plans include giving gifts to family and friends, you may qualify for a tax break. Investopedia’s Trina Paul has more on the rules and limits for the IRS gift tax exclusion here.