What to Watch in Markets This Week: Big Banks Report; Earnings Season Ramps Up

Questions about whether the U.S. has reached an enduring resolution with Iran—and what it means for oil—continue to dog investors. Meanwhile, big banks will release results that shed light on how the conflict has impacted the economy following last Friday's inflation data.

Late Saturday night, Vice President JD Vance said that the U.S. and Iran had failed to reach a peace deal after marathon talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, because Tehran refused to agree not to develop a nuclear weapon. "The meeting went well, most points were agreed to, but the only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR, was not," President Donald Trump wrote Sunday morning on Truth Social. "Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz."

Goldman Sachs is slated to report Monday, followed by JPMorgan Chase on Tuesday and Bank of America on Wednesday. Investors will watch for shifts in trading activity, as well as changes in the corporate appetite for mergers and acquisitions and IPOs.

Bank executives also often share broad outlooks on the U.S. economy; JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon recently said he is wary of a potential “tipping point.”

Financial service firms can also offer perspective on how consumers are faring, including how they are responding to last month's rise in inflation. (Another perspective on Americans' financial well-being could come from supermarket chain Albertsons, which reports Tuesday.)

Updates on demand for AI are also on the docket. ASML, a chipmaking equipment giant, is slated to release first-quarter results Wednesday, followed by the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Thursday. The latter-company pre-reported March revenues last week, signaling continued strong demand for AI chips and related products.

Stocks ended the week higher after markets reacted to the two-week ceasefire between the U.S., Israel and Iran, and the CPI report. For the week, the Nasdaq, S&P 500, and Dow ended up 4.7%, 3.6%, and 3%, respectively, overshadowing a more restrained Friday session that followed the CPI report. The indexes logged a second-consecutive weekly gain after five weeks in the read. Read Friday's markets recap here.

Here are some of the most significant events scheduled for the week ahead. TradingView publishes a more exhaustive rundown; clicking that link will take you off the Investopedia site.

Many investors seem to be acting as though the conflict with Iran is already over, Crystal Kim reported. Mortgage rates have receded a bit lately, notes Sabrina Karl, which may cheer hopeful homebuyers. And don't forget, as Elizabeth Guevara writes, that the tax filing deadline is now just days away.

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