Wall Street Brunch: Big Banks Kick Off Earnings Season

Earnings Reports - Major banks including JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, BlackRock, and Citigroup are set to report earnings, with JPMorgan expected to post an EPS of $4.48 on revenue of $44.04 billion [6] - Analysts express concerns over JPMorgan's declining net interest income and increased external borrowing, although the bank's strong credit loss allowance offers some stability [6][7] - Netflix is anticipated to report an EPS of $7.08 on revenue of $11.04 billion, with Needham raising its price target for the stock to $1,500 from $1,126, citing the company's global scale and content investment [7][8] Economic Indicators - The June Consumer Price Index (CPI) is expected to rise by 0.3% month-over-month, increasing the annual inflation rate to 2.6% from 2.4% [13] - The core CPI, excluding food and energy, is also projected to rise by 0.3%, leading to an annual rate increase to 3% from 2.8% [14] - Wells Fargo economists predict that inflation may strengthen but not alarm Federal Reserve officials, with a key focus on upcoming inflation data [15] Retail and Consumer Trends - Amazon's Prime Day event, extended to 96 hours, was reported as the largest ever, with significant savings across over 35 product categories [16][17] - Apple is reportedly leading the bid for U.S. streaming rights for Formula 1 races, offering at least $150 million annually, surpassing ESPN's current deal [17] Dividend Announcements - AbbVie and PNC Financial are set to go ex-dividend on Tuesday, with AbbVie paying out on August 15 and PNC on August 5 [18] - Colgate-Palmolive and Williams-Sonoma will go ex-dividend on Friday, with respective payout dates in August [19] Stock Ratings - UBS has released a list of top and bottom-rated stocks based on its REVS framework, identifying Philip Morris International, Exelixis, and Broadcom among the top five [21]