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The business inventory-to-sales ratio has declined to the lowest level since 2021, suggesting inflation may be even stickier than expected. Plus, investment newsletter commentary on small-caps, AI spending, and the gold market’s nasty message for bonds.

Asking for a Trend Host Brooke DiPalma previews several of the biggest stories to come next week, including Mag 7 earnings from Microsoft (MSFT), Meta (META), Apple (AAPL) and Amazon (AMZN), as well as the Fed decision and the latest Consumer confidence data.

Paramount Skydance has formally agreed to delay its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery until at least June 2027.

American Express Company will release its second quarter earnings report before the opening bell on Friday, July 24. Analysts expect the company to report quarterly earnings of $4.40 per share, up from $4.08 per share in the year-ago period. The...

Paramount Skydance on Friday said it would delay the deal until as late as June 2027.

Paramount Skydance agreed on Friday to delay its $110 billion merger with Warner Bros.Paramount agreed to delay the deal through June 2027, the company said in a court filing on Friday.

TODAY'S MARKETS Billions of dollars of losses in artificial-intelligence stocks. Sharp spikes in oil prices that dropped just as quickly. A jump in benchmark Treasury yields Thursday to their highest level this year.

Paramount Skydance agreed to postpone closing its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery until five days after a state antitrust case opposing the deal is resolved or until June 2027, when its merger agreement expires.

Dow Jones futures will open Sunday evening, along with S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures. Apple, Microsoft, Meta Platforms, Amazon.com headline a massive earnings wave. The Federal Reserve meets, with a rate hike a possibility.

Investors aren’t buying the earnings story this summer, in contrast to the spring rally that powered stocks to a record high in early June, suggesting a tough climb for markets over the back half of the year. Early second-quarter earnings data suggests companies are beating Wall Street forecasts by nearly 9%, well ahead of the four-quarter average of around 7.5% and the 4.4% tallied since 1994, according to LSEG. Nearly 85% of companies are beating estimates, compared with the recent average of around 80% and the historic reading of around 68%, and LSEG figures suggest overall second-quarter profit growth of 27%.

Paramount said Friday it will not move forward with its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery until legal challenges to the deal are resolved or June 1, 2027, whichever comes first. The concession is the latest blow to the $81 billion merger between entertainment giants Paramount and Warner, which is being challenged on antitrust grounds by 12 states and the Writers Guild of America, who argue the deal is anticompetitive. Paramount’s decision came after a California federal court had granted a temporary restraining order stopping the deal from closing in 28 days.

Big tech earnings week punished spenders despite beats. Price, money flow, options, and analyst data reveal who won and lost.

SLB Ltd (SLB) reports robust digital revenue growth and strategic positioning despite geopolitical headwinds in the Middle East.

Verizon Communications Inc (VZ) reports robust free cash flow and strategic advancements, despite a slight dip in total revenue.

American Express Co (AXP) reports a robust 10% revenue increase and outlines strategic reinvestments to sustain growth amid evolving market dynamics.

Tata Consumer Products Ltd (BOM:500800) reports a 12% revenue growth and unveils 14 new products, while navigating challenges in international markets.

Moby summary of Sensient Technologies Corporation's Q2 2026 earnings call

Moby summary of SLB N.V.'s Q2 2026 earnings call

Moby summary of Southside Bancshares, Inc.'s Q2 2026 earnings call

The U.S. will consider applying additional tariffs to goods from the European Union in response to fines the 27-nation bloc has levied against U.S. tech firms. The EU this week announced it would fine Alphabet’s Google $1 billion for breaching digital competition rules—the latest in a series of penalties for American tech firms in recent years. In response, President Trump said on Friday that he would direct his government to open a tariff investigation that could result in new levies on the EU.

Moby summary of Charter Communications, Inc.'s Q2 2026 earnings call

The Standard & Poor's 500 index shed 0.6% this week amid mixed corporate earnings and continued worr

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended Friday’s session 0.5% higher, while the S&P 500 gained 0.1% and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.6%.

Moby summary of World Acceptance Corporation's Q1 2027 earnings call

Moby summary of Verizon Communications Inc.'s Q2 2026 earnings call

Over the past six months, Photronics’s shares (currently trading at $30.49) have posted a disappointing 12.1% loss, well below the S&P 500’s 7.9% gain. This was partly due to its softer quarterly results and might have investors contemplating their next move.

Paramount Skydance (PSKY) agreed to delay its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) until June 2027 after 12 attorneys general sued to block the massive media merger.

Volatility continued Friday as a new round of tariffs amplified inflation fears and Intel's earnings couldn't overcome a risk-off stance toward chip stocks.

The Dow rose on Friday, but the blue-chip index couldn’t stave off its third-consecutive weekly decline. The Nasdaq dropped 0.6%. Stocks traded sideways all day, as another slide in chip stocks dragged down the S&P 500 and Nasdaq.

Rivian has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to get the refund of tariffs it paid before the Supreme Court ruled them unconstitutional. Find out more.