Consumer Sector in Focus as Coca-Cola Reports 28/04/2026

HOT stories for today

Market wrap:

• U.S. stocks edged higher Monday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both notching fresh intraday and closing records, even as stalled U.S.-Iran talks limited gains. The S&P 500 rose 0.12%, while the Nasdaq added 0.20%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 62.92 points, or 0.13%. Sentiment was capped after President Donald Trump canceled plans to send Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan for ceasefire talks, saying negotiations could instead take place by phone. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said no meetings with Washington are currently planned. 
• Still, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump and his national security team had discussed Iran’s offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the war ends and the U.S. lifts its blockade. The developments come during a pivotal earnings week, with Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft due Wednesday, followed by Apple on Thursday. The Federal Reserve will also announce its rate decision Wednesday, in what could be Jerome Powell’s final meeting as chair. UPS, General Motors, Coca-Cola, Hilton, JetBlue and Corning are among the companies reporting Tuesday, while traders will also watch April consumer confidence data.

Retail Traders Turn Cautious Before Big Tech Earnings

• Retail investors are heading into a major Big Tech earnings week with a more cautious stance, even as Microsoft, Meta, Alphabet, Amazon and Apple prepare to report results that could steer the broader market. Individual investors have been less active since the start of the Iran war, with their share of total trading volumes falling to 7.5% from 15% in October, according to Citi. Retail activity in Magnificent Seven stocks has also cooled, accounting for just 11% of total trading last week. The slowdown was especially clear in Meta, where retail’s share of trading volume fell to 5.7%, the lowest in four years and sharply below its 2022 peak.
• Citi said the pullback appears to reflect a broader decline in retail participation rather than fading interest in Big Tech specifically. Options positioning also points to a more defensive mindset. Retail traders have been buying more downside protection, with put activity outpacing calls for much of 2026, while activity has shifted more toward defensive sectors as volatility and geopolitical risks keep investors cautious. That leaves this week’s Magnificent Seven earnings as a key test: strong results may support the broader market, but it remains unclear whether they will be enough to bring retail traders back in force.

Stocks on the move:

• Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY): surged 31% after first-quarter revenue beat estimates and its adjusted loss came in narrower than expected.
• Rambus (RMBS): fell 10% as adjusted operating margin declined from a year earlier, even as earnings improved.
• Sanmina (SANM): jumped 15% after issuing stronger-than-expected third-quarter earnings guidance and authorizing a share buyback of up to $600 million.
• Cadence Design Systems (CDNS): slipped 1% after lowering its full-year earnings outlook, despite beating first-quarter earnings and revenue estimates.
• Nucor (NUE): gained nearly 4% after first-quarter earnings and revenue topped analyst expectations.

Watchlist: KO, NWS, RMBS, NUE, CDNS, MU, SNDK, AMD, VTR

Key Economic Events Today:

EST time

08:15 am: USD ADP Weekly Employment Change
10:00 am: USD Consumer Confidence
10:00 am: USD Richmond Manufacturing Index


Earnings

BMC (Before Market Open): Coca-Cola (KO), Novartis (NVS), Corning Inc. (GLW), BP P.l.c. (BP)

AMC (After Market Close): Visa Inc. (V), Welltower Inc. (WELL), Booking Holdings (BKNG), Seagate Tech. (STX)



The TEFS Analyst team wishes you a successful day!