COF - Catalyst Watch: Microsoft-Activision Blizzard drama Splunk event and Nasdaq 100 rebalancing countdown

2023-07-14 15:00:24 ET

Welcome to Seeking Alpha's Catalyst Watch - a breakdown of some of next week's actionable events that stand out. Check out Saturday morning's regular Stocks to Watch article for a full list of events planned for the week or the Seeking Alpha earnings calendar for companies due to report.

Monday - July 17

• Volatility watch - Stocks with the potential to see more short squeeze action include Carvana ( CVNA ), Beyond Meat ( BYND ), and Wayfair ( W ). Options trading volume is elevated on Hycroft Mining ( HYMC ) and Recursion Pharmaceuticals ( RXRX ).
• Earnings watch - Notable companies due to report include Equity LifeStyle Properties ( ELS ).
• M&A watch - The Microsoft ( MSFT ) pursuit of Activision Blizzard ( ATVI ) could make it to the finish line if the last remaining courtroom and regulatory hurdles are cleared.
• All day - Splunk Inc. ( SPLK ) will host its 14th annual user conference at The Venetian Las Vegas. The event is expected to be heavily focused on security, with some mention of the company's abilities with generative artificial intelligence. Shares of Splunk have rallied in the past immediately after the flagship conference.
• 8:30 a.m. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York will release the Empire Manufacturing Index for July. Economists forecast the manufacturing index to fall to 0.0 after last month's higher than expected rise to 6.6.
• 1:30 p.m. Elastic ( ESTC ) will hold a Generative AI Technology and Product update. Shares of Elastic have rallied after similar events in the past.
• 2:45 p.m. Dell Technologies ( DELL ) will host an "Ask the Experts" Q&A session. Leaders from Dell will discuss current technology trends and how the company is innovating across its leading capabilities, with a focus on AI/ML, multicloud, edge, and Zero Trust.

For further details see: