ZACKS·2026-03-19 16:11Economic Indicators - Initial Jobless Claims fell to 205K from an estimated 215K, marking the lowest level since early January, indicating a robust labor market [2] - Continuing Claims remained below 1.9 million for the 10th consecutive week, coming in at 1.857 million, down from a revised 1.860 million the previous week [3] - The Philly Fed manufacturing survey reached 18.1, the highest since September of the previous year, reflecting three consecutive months of positive growth [4] Company Earnings Reports - Alibaba (BABA) reported a 47% decline in earnings to $1.01 per share, with shares down 7% in pre-market trading, compounding year-to-date losses to approximately 15% [5] - Darden Restaurants (DRI) met earnings expectations with $2.95 per share and revenues of $3.35 billion, but shares fell 4% due to rising gas prices affecting outlook [6] - Duluth Holdings (DLTH) experienced a 21% surge in pre-market trading after reporting earnings of $0.23 per share, exceeding expectations by 155.6%, with revenues of $215.9 million also outperforming [7] - FedEx (FDX) is expected to report fiscal Q3 earnings with anticipated year-over-year earnings growth of -8.2% and revenue growth of +6.45%, with shares up 20% year to date [8]