What’s Ahead in the Markets This Week: Investors Monitor Events in Iran, Look Forward to Employment Data, Additional Economic Indicators, and Company Earnings

Market Outlook: Key Events and Developments This Week

As March trading begins, investors are facing renewed geopolitical tensions following significant weekend events. The United States and Israel conducted a coordinated military operation against Iran on Saturday, prompting U.S. President Donald Trump to urge Iranians to challenge their leadership. In response, Iran launched counterattacks targeting Israel and Gulf states. Market participants will be closely monitoring how these events unfold and their potential effects on global markets in the days ahead.

This week also brings important economic updates. On Friday, the latest U.S. government employment figures for February will be released, offering insight into the health of the labor market after a rebound in January. Additionally, January’s retail sales data is due, shedding light on consumer spending trends after a slowdown at the end of last year.

On the corporate front, Apple has hinted at a series of major product announcements, while several leading technology companies—including Broadcom and CrowdStrike—are set to report earnings. Major retailers such as Costco, Target, and Best Buy will also share their latest financial results.

Scroll down for a detailed calendar of this week’s most important events and a special feature at the end.

Labor Market in Focus: Anticipation Builds for February Jobs Report

Will February’s employment data once again surpass expectations? The upcoming jobs report follows a strong January, where U.S. employers added 130,000 positions—more than double what economists predicted. However, revisions to previous months’ data revealed that hiring throughout 2025 was softer than initially thought. Investors will also pay attention to the private-sector ADP employment report, which is scheduled for release on Wednesday.

The Census Bureau, still catching up after last year’s government shutdown, will publish delayed January retail sales figures this week. December’s numbers indicated a stall in consumer spending, with sluggish job growth cited as a contributing factor.

Additionally, the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book will provide an overview of economic conditions nationwide ahead of the central bank’s next policy meeting on March 17-18. Survey results for the manufacturing and services sectors in February will also be closely watched.

Corporate Highlights: Earnings and New Product Launches

Apple CEO Tim Cook has teased a “big week ahead,” with the company expected to unveil several new products—including possibly the iPhone 17 and a more affordable MacBook—culminating in a special event on Wednesday.

Following last week’s earnings from Nvidia, the spotlight remains on technology sector results. Broadcom will announce its quarterly performance on Wednesday, having previously forecasted a doubling of its AI-related revenue. Marvell Technology is set to report on Thursday.

CrowdStrike, a leader in cybersecurity, will release its earnings amid ongoing volatility in software stocks, partly due to concerns about AI-driven changes in the industry. Some analysts, however, view AI as a growth opportunity for cybersecurity firms like CrowdStrike. Other notable reports this week include MongoDB, Guidewire, and Samsara.

Retailers are also in focus, with Target—under new CEO Michael Fiddelke—Costco, Best Buy, and Ross Stores all scheduled to share their latest results. Both Target and Costco have seen their stock prices recover this year after challenging periods in 2025.

This Week’s Economic and Corporate Calendar

Monday, March 2

• ISM Manufacturing PMI (February)
• Additional Data: S&P Global U.S. Manufacturing PMI (February)
• Key Earnings: EchoStar (SATS), AST SpaceMobile (ASTS), MongoDB (MDB)
• Apple (AAPL) begins its first product launches of the year

Tuesday, March 3

• Federal Reserve Speakers: John Williams (New York Fed), Neel Kashkari (Minneapolis Fed)
• Key Earnings: CrowdStrike (CRWD), Ross Stores (ROST), AutoZone (AZO), Target (TGT), Viking Holdings (VIK), On Holding (ONON), Best Buy (BBY)

Wednesday, March 4

• ADP National Employment Report (February)
• Additional Data: S&P Global U.S. Services PMI (February), ISM Services PMI (February), Fed Beige Book
• Key Earnings: Broadcom (AVGO), Veeva Systems (VEEV), Brown-Forman (BF.A, BF.B), Okta (OKTA)

Thursday, March 5

• Initial Jobless Claims (week ending Feb. 28)
• Additional Data: U.S. Productivity (Q4), Import Price Index (January)
• Key Earnings: Costco (COST), Marvell Technology (MRVL), Kroger (KR), JD.com (JD), Burlington Stores (BURL), Samsara (IOT), Guidewire Software (GWRE), Gap (GAP)

Friday, March 6

• U.S. Employment Report (February)
• Additional Data: Consumer Credit (January), Retail Sales (January), Business Inventories (December)
• Key Earnings: Genesco (GCO)

Special Feature: The Impact of Homeownership Aspirations

Are you reconsidering the dream of owning a home? According to research highlighted by Investopedia’s Terry Lane, renters who no longer believe they will ever purchase a home tend to spend more and work less, while those still planning to buy demonstrate greater financial discipline.