Good morning investors! The stock market is closed Monday for Labor Day.
Today we cover:
What to expect this week
Sugar beat stocks
📊 Economy and News
What to Expect this Week
Here’s what to keep an eye on this week:
Monday, September 7
Labor Day Holiday
Tuesday, September 8
Earnings Focus: Casey’s General Stores (CASY); United Natural Foods (UNFI); Braze’ and ServiceTitan .
Economic data: NFIB Small Business Optimism Index (August) and consumer credit (July).
Wednesday, September 9
Apple (AAPL) “Surprise and Shine” product event: 1 p.m. ET (livestream available). First major launch under new CEO John Ternus (who succeeded Tim Cook on Sept. 1). Expected highlights include:
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max (improved chips, cameras, battery life; possible price increases and new colors).
First foldable iPhone (internally referred to as iPhone Ultra; passport-style design, dual displays ~5.5-inch outer / ~7.8-inch inner, premium pricing potentially starting above $2,000).
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, plus AirPods updates.
Standard iPhone 18 models appear delayed to 2027.
Earnings: American Eagle Outfitters (AEO); AeroVironment; Chewy; and Cooper Companies.
Thursday, September 10
Producer Price Index (PPI) for August at 8:30 a.m. ET — a key wholesale-price read ahead of Friday’s CPI.
Other data: Existing home sales, wholesale inventories, weekly jobless claims.
Earnings:
Macy’s (M): Department-store results have drawn interest after Berkshire Hathaway’s increased stake earlier in the year.
Oracle (ORCL): Focus on cloud/AI infrastructure demand, debt levels, and customer concentration. Consensus roughly $1.74 EPS on ~$19 billion revenue. Results often serve as a bellwether for AI-related spending.
Adobe (ADBE): Investors watching AI disruption risks and the upcoming CEO transition (Anil Chakravarthy takes over in December).
Friday, September 11
August Consumer Price Index (CPI) at 8:30 a.m. ET from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Economists expect headline CPI near 3.4% year-over-year (matching July) and core CPI around 2.4% (slight cooling). This is the most important data of the week for Fed rate expectations.
University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers: Preliminary September sentiment at 10 a.m. ET.
Kroger (KR): Focus on grocery margins, discounting, and transportation costs as consumers remain cautious on food spending.
Global hits:
Turkey forecasts GDP growth to reach 5% by 2029 with inflation expected to drop to 28.4% in 2026.
Italy could grow by up to 1% this year, minister says.
South Korea exports surpass annual record as AI chip boom drives shipments
Reminder: OPEC+ keeps oil output policy unchanged for October. Elsewhere, US and Iran trade attacks on oil tankers.
👨 Sponsored
Most traders make this too complicated. More charts. More indicators. More guessing.
In this short video, Mark shows how having the entry, stop, and target laid out before emotions get involved can cut through the noise.
📈 Stocks
S&P 500 7,718.60 (-0.37%)
DJIA 53,414.25 (-0.51%)
NASDAQ 26,506.99 (-0.29%)
BRENT CRUDE 96.54 (+0.42%)
* Prices as of Sep 7th, 12:20 AM UTC
Sugar Prices Surge Past Stocks: What’s Fueling the Rally
Raw sugar prices jumped 21.5% in August—their biggest monthly gain since October 2010—and are now up about 20% year-to-date, outpacing the S&P 500’s roughly 13% advance.
The rally stems from tightening global supply. A summer heat wave damaged Europe’s sugar-beet crop, prompting the European Commission to cut 2026/27 production estimates by 19% to 13.4 million metric tons. Weaker output is also expected in Brazil and India. Strengthening El Niño raises further risks of drought or erratic rains across key exporters (Brazil, India, and Thailand account for about 70% of global sugar trade).
Higher oil prices are amplifying the squeeze. Brazilian mills—responsible for roughly half of world exports—can switch cane between sugar and ethanol; with oil above $90 a barrel, more cane is flowing into biofuel. India, the second-largest producer, has authorized 1 million metric tons of duty-free raw-sugar imports, its first such move since 2017–18, signaling tighter domestic supplies.
Analysts see limited near-term relief. Citi calls sugar a “highest-conviction bullish” agricultural market and raised its three-month price target to 19 cents per pound, citing rising deficit estimates (1.3–3.2 million metric tons across firms) and weather risks. Brazil remains the key swing supplier, but harvest delays leave little margin for error.
Interesting: SEC sues ISS as Trump administration ramps up scrutiny of proxy advisers.
💵 Personal Finance
Why Some People Never Stop Working
Many Americans continue working well past the age when they can claim full Social Security benefits (typically 66–67, depending on birth year). For some it is a necessity; for others it is a deliberate choice.
According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute’s 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey, about 41% of working retirees say they need the income to cover basic expenses. At the same time, large majorities stay employed for non-financial reasons: 91% want to remain active and involved, and 85% simply enjoy the work.
Financial planners note that the goal is often not “retirement” as a hard stop, but financial independence—the point at which work becomes optional. That requires calculating realistic living costs (housing, healthcare, debt, lifestyle) and matching them against expected income from Social Security, savings withdrawals, and other sources. Once that number is clear, people can build toward it rather than aiming for an arbitrary birthday.
Reaching true choice may involve earlier trade-offs: consistent investing to harness compounding, using a mix of accounts (401(k), IRA, taxable brokerage, HSA) to stay flexible, and balancing present spending against future needs. Health setbacks can also shorten working years, so plans should account for uncertainty.
In short, late-life work can be a source of purpose, connection, and creativity when it is chosen—or a financial requirement when it is not. Building toward independence gives more people the freedom to decide which path fits their lives.
💰 Be a Better Investor
“Wealth is what you don’t see—cars not purchased, watches not worn.”
What did you think of today's newsletter?
👩🏽⚖️ Legal Stuff
FOR EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY; NOT ADVICE. Morning Download products and services are offered for educational and informational purposes only and should NOT be construed as a securities-related offer or solicitation or be relied upon as personalized financial advice. We are not financial advisors and cannot give personalized advice. There is a risk of loss in all trading, and you may lose some or all of your original investment. Results presented are not typical. This message may contain paid advertisements, or affiliate links. This content is for educational purposes only.
Please review the full risk disclaimer: MorningDownload.com/terms-of-use