Monday Morning Must-Knows - August 18, 2025

Monday Morning Must-Knows by Trading Academy

August 18, 2025

FOMC Minutes This Week: Will the Fed Cut Rates?

Last week started strong but ended flat for equities, while crypto saw high volatility. This week’s earnings calendar is light, with 312 companies reporting. Key names include Palo Alto Networks (Mon), Home Depot and Toll Brothers (Tue), major retailers like Target, Lowe’s, and Estee Lauder (Wed), Walmart, Alibaba, and Zoom (Thu), and BJ’s Restaurant (Fri). 

Retail sales data last week disappointed at 0.5% vs. 0.6% expected, which could affect results. Central bank action is in focus, with the Reserve Bank of New Zealand expected to hold rates at 3.25% Tuesday night. 

Global services and manufacturing data will be released Thursday, starting with France and ending in the U.S., potentially sparking volatility. 

Wednesday’s FOMC meeting minutes will offer insight into Fed members’ views after last week’s sharp PPI rise of 0.9%, fueling speculation about a September 25 bps rate cut—currently seen as a 90% probability, though upcoming data could still shift the outlook.

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