Markets This Week: Jan Jobs, Inflation, Retail Sales; Cisco, Coke, McDonald's Earnings
[Para 1: The Lead] This week markets focus shifts to delayed January jobs data, consumer inflation, and December retail sales, with earnings from Cisco, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, and other tech and consumer firms. The January CPI report is due Friday, following a December reading that was largely stable, with core inflation lower than expected. The Fed is expected to wait for further inflation improvement before considering another rate cut. [Para 2: Supporting Details & Context] January jobs data is scheduled for Wednesday, following a government shutdown delay. December retail sales will be released Tuesday. Tech and AI infrastructure leader Cisco reports earnings Wednesday, with CEO Chuck Robbins citing strong AI infrastructure sales potential. Consumer stocks including Coca-Cola and McDonald's are in focus, as are auto sales from Ford, Honda, and Ferrari and travel-related updates from Marriott and Airbnb. Pharmaceutical firms AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Vertex also report. Crypto platforms Robinhood and Coinbase Global are under watch amid recent declines in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.