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 - August 2
- Volatility watch - Options trading on TAL Education Group (NYSE:TAL), Tellurian (NASDAQ:TELL) and Infinity Pharmaceuticals imply big swings in the near term. Some names making the rounds again on Reddit's WallStreetBets with increased buzz include Nikola (NASDAQ:NKLA), ContextLogic (NASDAQ:WISH) and Tilray (NASDAQ:TLRY). Short interest on Support.com (NASDAQ:SPRT) and Goodrx Holdings (NASDAQ:GDRX) is elevated.
- All week - Conferences scheduled to run during the week include the KeyBanc Capital Markets Future of Technology Series, the KBW Virtual Community Bank Investor Conference 2021, the Jefferies Industrials Conference 2021, and the D.A. Davidson The Bison Select Conference 2021.
- All week - Data reports to watch include monthly deliveries reports from Nio (NYSE:NIO), XPeng (NYSE:XPEV) and Li Auto (NASDAQ:LI) - along with the general update on July electric vehicle sales in China. The latest update on Class 8 truck orders and firearm background checks could also be a share price mover.
- All week - An imminent decision by the Surface Transportation Board on the Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI) and Kansas City Southern (NYSE:KSU) merger could roil the rails sector. Canadian Pacific Railway (NYSE:CP) is expected to re-engage with Kansas City Southern if the deal is blocked. The timing of a STB announcement is uncertain.
- All day- The weekend U.S. box office numbers are of high interest following the delayed release of Disney's (NYSE:DIS) Jungle Cruise. The film is tracking to open in the $25M to $30M range domestically. Notably, Jungle Cruise is also available on Disney+ Premier at $29.99. Movie-related stocks like AMC Entertainment (NYSE:AMC), Cineworld (OTCPK:CNNWF), Cinemark (NYSE:CNK), IMAX (NYSE:IMAX), Marcus (NYSE:MCS), Reading International (NASDAQ:RDI) flat; Cineplex (OTCPK:CPXGF) and National CineMedia (NASDAQ:NCMI) are on watch.
- 10:00 a.m. Ford (NYSE:F) participates in a fireside chat with Barclays to discuss the auto industry operating environment and the automaker's Q2 financial results. The conversation will also cover the execution of the Ford+ plan for growth and value creation. Ford+ prioritizes electric vehicles, the standalone Ford Pro commercial business and connected and mobility services, which Ford says all rely on distinctive products, always-on customer relationships and user experiences that get better over time.
- Postmarket - Earnings calls of interest include NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ:NXPI). Options trading on NXPI implies a move of 4% or more after the earnings report. Shares of NXPI have moved lower twice in the last year during the company's earnings conference call when execs updated on trends.
Tuesday - August 3
- Premarket - Victoria's Secret (NYSE:VSCO) will start trading as an independent stock after breaking free from L Brands (LB). Victoria's Secret will enter the MidCap 400 right from the start, while L Brands will stay in the S&P 500 but change to Bath & Body Works (NYSE:BBWI).
- Premarket - IPO share lockups periods expire on Atotech (NYSE:ATC), Landos Biopharma (NASDAQ:LABP), Sana Biotechnology (NASDAQ:SANA) and Sensei Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:SNSE). Of the four, Atotech has racked up the biggest gain since going public with a 40% rally.
- 9:00 a.m. Gores Holdings (NASDAQ:GRSV) shareholders meet to vote on the SPAC deal with Ardagh Metal Packaging. The new company will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange with the AMBP symbol. Upon closing, Ardagh will retain an equity interest of ~80%, the PIPE investors will hold ~10% and Gores Holdings V's stockholders and its sponsor will hold ~10% of the combined company.
- 1:20 p.m. Boeing's (NYSE:BA) uncrewed Orbital Flight Test 2 mission for its Starliner astronaut taxi is scheduled to launch. Starliner will carry 400 pounds of cargo and a test dummy named Rosie the Rocketeer to the space station. The first orbital test in 2019 was not successful as the spacecraft suffered a problem with its mission timer and came home after circling Earth solo for two days. Shares of Boeing fell almost 2% when the mission failed.
- 2:00 p.m. Federal Reserve Board Governor Michelle Bowman gives remarks before the virtual "Toward an Inclusive Recovery: Improving Labor Force Attachment and Financial Security Among Low-Income and Marginalized Workers" research seminar.
- Postmarket - Earnings calls of interest include Lyft (NASDAQ:LYFT) and Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ:WYNN). Shares of Lyft have ticked higher last earnings call when execs outlined the long-term autonomous vehicle strategy of the company. Meanwhile, Wynn Resorts is known for holding something back from its earning press release for the conference call. That means Austerlitz Acquisition Corp I (NYSE:AUS) should be watched, with Wynn planning on merging its online gaming business with the special purpose acquisition company.
Wednesday - August 4
- All day - The IPO share lockup period expires on Vor BioPharma (NASDAQ:VOR), Pharvaris (NASDAQ:PHVS), Lucira Health (NASDAQ:LHDX), Terns Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TERN), Angion Biomedica (NASDAQ:ANGN), Valneva (NASDAQ:VALN), Evaxion Biotech (NASDAQ:EVAX) and CN Energy Group (NASDAQ:CNEY).
- Premarket - Earnings calls to watch include Cedar Fair (NYSE:FUN) for commentary on theme park trends and Royal Caribbean (NYSE:RCL) on updates on bookings and its cruise calendar. Shares of Royal Caribbean have pushed higher after several recent conference calls and post-earnings media appearances when execs added color on everything from demand trends to the balance sheet.
- 1:00 p.m. Acasti Pharma (NASDAQ:ACST) hosts a business update conference call to discuss the planned acquisition of Grace Therapeutics, a privately held emerging biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative drug delivery technologies for the treatment of rare and orphan diseases. Acasti plans to provide additional context on the proposed Grace acquisition and its benefits. Shares of Acasti popped 20% the last time Acasti updated on the Grace Therapeutics deal.
- 4:15 p.m. Costco (NASDAQ:COST) is due to post its monthly sales report for July. The retail stock typically gets a bounce off strong monthly sales reports with consensus estimates pushed higher.
- Postmarket - General Motors (NYSE:GM) suppliers will be closely watched for production updates from the auto giant as part of its earnings report and conference call update amid the global chip shortage. Some key suppliers to watch include Telenav (NASDAQ:TNAV) with 47% of its revenue derived from GM, American Axle (NYSE:AXL) with 37%, Strattec (NASDAQ:STRT) with 28%, Methode Electronics (NYSE:MEI) with 28%, Superior Industries (NYSE:SUP) with 26%, Cooper-Standard (NYSE:CPS) with 19%, Lear Corporation with 19%, P.A.M. Transportation Services with 15% and Universal Logistics (NASDAQ:ULH) with 14%.
Thursday - August 5
- All day - IPOs expected to start trading include European Wax Center (EWCX) Cadre (NYSE:CDRE), Weber (NYSE:WEBR) and WCG Clinical (NASDAQ:WCGC).
- All day - The four-day DefCon 2021 conference begins. The highly-watched cybersecurity conference will feature speakers from Snap (NYSE:SNAP), Zoom Video (NASDAQ:ZM) and CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD).
- Premarket - Earnings calls to watch include Penn National Gaming (NASDAQ:PENN) and Wayfair (NYSE:W). Both companies are expected to update on the current business climate beyond the numbers in the earnings press release. Shares of Wayfair broke higher during the Q1 call when execs pointed to "accelerating" demand, but Amazon's earnings update has traders defensive into the report.
- 9:00 a.m. It is the last trading date before the FDA action date on Eton Pharmaceuticals' (NASDAQ:ETON) topiramate oral solution.
- 9:00 a.m. ON Semiconductor (NASDAQ:ON) conducts its Financial Analyst Day event, which will feature presentations on the company’s strategy, technology, and financial outlook. ON Semiconductor has one of the highest Seeking Alpha Quant Ratings in the semiconductor sector.
- 10:00 a.m. Federal Reserve Board Governor Christopher Waller speaks on "Central Bank Digital Currency" before the virtual American Enterprise Institute Event.
- 10:00 a.m. Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) webcasts a virtual investor event to discuss growth drivers and Lockheed Martin's 21st Century Warfare strategic initiatives. Shareholders of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings will be listening for signs of regulatory pushback on the buyout by Lockheed.
- 10:00 a.m. Green Brick Partners (NASDAQ:GRBK) hosts a virtual investor day event. The 2021 Green Brick Partners Virtual Investor Day will feature presentations by CEO Jim Brickman, CFO Rick Costello and COO Jed Dolson. The event will open with a keynote address and exclusive Q&A session with Jim Brickman and David Einhorn, President of Greenlight Capital (NASDAQ:GLRE) and Chairman of the Board of Green Brick Partners.
- 10:00 a.m. Peridot Acquisition Corp. (PDAC) shareholders meet to approve the SPAC deal with Li-Cycle. The Canadian-based company recycles end-of-life-lithium-ion batteries that power devices such as electric cars and smartphones.
- 11:00 a.m. Frontier Communications Parent (NASDAQ:FYBR) provides an update on the company's strategy and a review of Q2 financial results at an Investor Day event.
- 12:00 p.m. Reinvent Technology Partners (RTP) shareholders meet to approve the SPAC deal with Joby Aviation. Joby is likely to be one of the first companies to commercialize an eVTOL. The company already has a contract with the U.S. Air Force.
Friday - August 6
- Premarket - Earnings calls to monitor include AMC Networks (NASDAQ:AMCX), Canopy Growth (NASDAQ:CGC) and DraftKings (NASDAQ:DKNG). Shares of AMCX received a jolt earlier this when management stated on the earnings conference call that streaming would become the company’s largest revenue segment by 2025. Cannabis stocks like Canopy Growth have been volatile on conference calls after updates on multi-state operator deals. DraftKings' earnings call could get interesting if the company is asked about upside for the new NFT ecosystem.
- 8:00 a.m. Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR) holds an investor conference call to discuss the company's ESG progress, roadmap and 2020 Sustainability Report. ESG updates have taken on added significance this year with institutional investors.
- 9:00 a.m. SC Health Corp (SCPE) shareholders meet to approve the SPAC merger with Rockley Photonics. The transaction will result in Rockley becoming a publicly-traded company on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol RKLY. Rockley is developing a comprehensive range of photonic integrated circuits and associated modules, sensors, and full-stack solutions. A SEC filing for the startup Rockley Photonics lists Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) as one of its "few large customers."