Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq Stumble as Markets Await Walmart Earnings & Jackson Hole Kickoff - Here’s Why Traders Are Nervous

Markets hold their breath as retail giant prepares to report and Fed officials gather at Jackson Hole.

The Waiting Game

Major indices dipped today as investors played defense ahead of two major catalysts. Nobody's making big moves until Walmart drops numbers and Jerome Powell & company start talking monetary policy at the annual Wyoming confab.

Earnings Jitters Meet Fed Fear

Traders are stuck between worrying about consumer spending signals from Walmart's results and parsing every syllable from central bankers about future rate moves. It's the classic 'what's worse for stocks?' dilemma—weak economic data or hawkish Fed rhetoric.

Because nothing says 'stable markets' like hanging on every word from a retailer's balance sheet and bankers hiking mountains between policy speeches.