Economic Events and Corporate Reports: Tuesday, August 4, 2026 — JOLTS, Reports from Caterpillar, Pfizer, AMD, Toyota, and BP

Tuesday, August 4, 2026, is set to be the most eventful day of the week for corporate announcements across global financial markets. Investors are in for a significant influx of quarterly earnings reports: before the US market opens, results will be released by Caterpillar, Pfizer, Merck, Spotify, and Marathon Petroleum; after the market closes, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Amgen, Booking Holdings, and Gilead Sciences will report. The international block is equally significant, featuring earnings from UK’s BP, Japan’s Toyota, and Germany’s BioNTech. The macroeconomic agenda is focused on the US labor market, with JOLTS figures on job openings for June being a key indicator leading up to Friday’s Nonfarm Payroll report. The day will test the resilience of the July rally for indices such as the S&P 500, Euro Stoxx 50, Nikkei 225, and the Moscow Exchange.

Key Events of the Day: A Brief Overview

JOLTS: Number of job openings in the US for June — the key macro release of the day.
Factory orders and durable goods orders in the US for June.
US trade balance for June and weekly retail sales indicators.
US corporate reports: Caterpillar, Pfizer, Merck, AMD, Amgen, Booking, Gilead, Arista Networks, Devon Energy.
International reporting: BP (UK), Toyota (Japan), BioNTech (Germany), Coupang (South Korea).
Weekly API data on US oil inventories— an evening benchmark for the commodity market.

US Labor Market: JOLTS before Friday’s Payrolls

At 17:00 MSK, the JOLTS report detailing job openings in the US economy for June will be published. This will be the first major employment indicator of the week, culminating in Friday’s July Nonfarm Payroll report. The rationale for investors is straightforward:

A decrease in job openings will confirm a cooling labor market and bolster expectations for a more dovish Federal Reserve— a positive sign for bonds and growth stocks.
Unexpectedly strong data, on the other hand, will support Treasury yields and the dollar, putting pressure on the technology sector.
The ratio of job openings to unemployed individuals remains a critical metric for the Fed in assessing the balance of supply and demand in the labor market.

Orders, Trade, and Consumer Demand: US Statistics

Also at 17:00 MSK, factory orders and final durable goods orders for June will be released— indicators of the investment activity of US companies. In the morning, the US trade balance for June and preliminary trade data will be published: the dynamics of imports and exports is crucial for evaluating the contribution of foreign trade to GDP in the third quarter. Weekly retail sales indices from ICSC and Redbook will round out the picture of the American consumer's state.

Oil Market: API Inventories and Post-OPEC+ Outlook

At 23:30 MSK, the American Petroleum Institute (API) will release weekly data on oil and petroleum product inventories in the US. The market continues to react to Sunday’s OPEC+ monitoring committee meeting, which reaffirmed a phased increase in production for September. Brent prices above $80 per barrel support stocks in the oil and gas sector— particularly relevant on Tuesday in light of reports from BP, Marathon Petroleum, Devon Energy, and Suncor.

Corporate Reports Before the US Market Opens

The morning session will be among the busiest in the second-quarter earnings season:

Caterpillar — a barometer of global industry: consensus suggests earnings of around $6.20 per share (+31% year-over-year) on revenue of approximately $19.2 billion; focus will be on demand for construction equipment and energy tools for data centers.
Pfizer and Merck — the big pharma block: dynamics of key drugs, forecasts for the year, and strategies amidst price pressure on medications in the US.
Spotify — growth in subscriber numbers and the profitability of the streaming business.
Marathon Petroleum, Energy Transfer, MPLX — refining and midstream segments amid high crack margins.
Duke Energy, Kimberly-Clark, Sysco, Archer-Daniels-Midland, TransDigm, Cummins, Rockwell Automation, DuPont, Apollo Global — a broad representation of defensive and industrial sectors of the S&P 500.

Reports After the Close: AMD in the Spotlight

The evening session will focus on technology and healthcare:

Advanced Micro Devices — the main report of the day: the market expects earnings around $1.61 per share on revenue of approximately $11.3 billion (+47% year-over-year); the key question will be the sales pace of MI350 accelerators for AI data centers and forecasts for new MI450 chips.
Amgen and Gilead Sciences — the pharmaceutical marathon continues.
Booking Holdings — an indicator of global tourism demand in the midst of the summer season.
Arista Networks — networking equipment for AI infrastructure, benefiting from capital expenditures from hyperscalers.
Devon Energy, Suncor, Coterra — the oil and gas block of the evening.
Pinterest, Match Group, Lucid, Upstart, Wynn Resorts, Toast — volatile narratives in the consumer and technology segments.

Europe and Asia: BP, Toyota, and BioNTech

The international calendar for Tuesday sets a global tone:

BP — quarterly results from the British major: buyback volume, production, and cost discipline will shape sentiment in the European oil and gas sector and influence the FTSE 100.
Toyota Motor — report for the first quarter of the fiscal year 2027: the impact of American tariffs on margins, hybrid sales, and forecasts for the yen — a key event for the Nikkei 225.
BioNTech — the German biotech reports amid its transformation into an oncology company.
Coupang — South Korea's largest e-commerce player, indicative of Asian consumer demand.
Tower Semiconductor — the Israeli contract chip manufacturer will also supplement the semiconductor agenda.

Russia and CIS Markets: A Pause Before Midweek

The corporate calendar of the Moscow Exchange remains calm on Tuesday, with major events shifted to the middle and end of the week. Investors should keep an eye on:

the anticipated financial report from “Rostelecom” according to IFRS for the first half of 2026 on August 5;
operational results from “Mother and Child” (MD Medical) for the second quarter, released at the beginning of the week;
upcoming dividend cuts at the end of the week, including stocks from “Acron”;
the dynamics of oil and the ruble following OPEC+ decisions as a key driver for the Moscow Exchange Index.

Context of the Week: From JOLTS to Nonfarm Payrolls

Tuesday serves as a pivotal link in a busy week. Ahead lies the announcement of US Treasury refinancing and ISM Services on Wednesday, the Bank of England meeting on Thursday, and the July US employment report on Friday. The JOLTS data and corporate forecasts from Tuesday will shape market positioning ahead of these key events, with the density of earnings reports making the day one of the most volatile for individual S&P 500 stocks.

What Investors Should Focus on August 4, 2026

AMD’s Report After the Close — a crucial test for the semiconductor sector following the July correction: forecasts for AI accelerators could set the direction for the entire Nasdaq.
JOLTS Data — the first piece in the puzzle of the US labor market ahead of Friday’s Payrolls and an indicator for Federal Reserve rate expectations.
Caterpillar and Cummins — the state of the global industrial cycle and demand for AI-energy infrastructure.
Reports from BP and Toyota — the impact of tariffs and commodity conditions on European and Japanese markets; Toyota’s results are critical for the Nikkei 225.
The Pharma Marathon from Pfizer, Merck, Amgen, and Gilead — the healthcare sector under price regulation pressure: annual forecasts are crucial.
API Oil Inventories — an evening benchmark for Brent and stocks of oil and gas companies, including Russian stocks on the Moscow Exchange.

Tuesday, August 4, 2026, combines peak corporate earnings announcements with important statistics from the US labor market. Investors should carefully assess risks in semiconductor and pharmaceutical positions, consider management forecasts as seriously as actual numbers, and be aware that the market's reaction to JOLTS may be intensified by expectations for the Friday employment report.