Why do US markets seem to hold their breath some weeks, as if before an exam? This week, three events are drawing attention on Wall Street. Good news: you don't need a PhD to understand them. We'll go through them step by step, like a cooking recipe. 🍳 And by the end, you'll be able to read these days with a sharper eye than average.
1. Company earnings: the report card of the stock market
Major companies publish their quarterly accounts. The picture is simple: a report card. Each company shows what it sold and earned over the past three months. These releases matter because stocks are not abstractions: behind every ticker, there is a company that is (or isn't) taking in money.
When earnings beat expectations, indices like the Dow Jones (US30) or the Nasdaq — two baskets of stocks that set the tone for the US stock market — can react upward. When they disappoint, it's the opposite. But here is the nuance that many beginners miss: what markets watch most are the forecasts for the months ahead, not just the figures already past. A company can have earned well and still disappoint… because it announces a more timid future. Conversely, an average quarter paired with solid prospects can be well received. Concretely, for you: don't read a result as a fixed report card, read it as a trend.
2. Inflation: the thermostat of the economy
Price statistics are coming out this week. Inflation is the speed at which your grocery basket costs more from one month to the next. If the basket rises 3% in a year, on €100 of groceries you pay €3 more. Telling, isn't it?
The US central bank (the Fed) watches this closely, because it has a dual mandate: stable prices and a solid labor market. To keep the economy at the right temperature, it adjusts the policy rates — think of it as the price of borrowed money, the "tap" of credit. Higher rates cool activity: borrowing costs more, so people spend and invest less. This often weighs on stocks and sometimes supports the dollar. Conversely, lower rates reopen the tap.
Why does this figure make trading floors tremble? Because it determines what comes next: if prices slow, the Fed has more room to ease; if they hold firm, it stays cautious. According to CNBC, this data is among the three major events of the week — and it's easy to see why.
3. The dollar and gold: the weather report of the markets
The dollar is the world's reference currency. When it rises, gold — priced in dollars — becomes more expensive for foreign buyers, which can dampen demand. The opposite happens when the greenback falls. The two often dance in opposite directions, like a pendulum. And this pendulum has very concrete effects: a US company selling abroad sees its revenues shrink when the dollar appreciates, because its sales in foreign currencies are worth less once converted.
What to watch
- Volatility: it's the amplitude of movements, like waves of varying height. Around announcements, it often climbs — and a wider move is not a drama, it's a rhythm to get used to.
- The dollar: its direction sets the tone for gold and multinationals.
- The indices: US30 and Nasdaq react to earnings and macro data.
- The calendar: releases come at fixed times, often before the open. Knowing when a data point comes out is sometimes worth as much as the data itself.
The trap to avoid: believing you can predict
Let's be frank, because that's our educational role: most beginners lose money not because they lack information, but because they want to guess the market's reaction to these announcements. Yet two experienced traders can read the same figure and draw opposite conclusions. The uncomfortable truth: no one knows in advance how the market will digest a data point. The right practice is therefore not to bet on direction, but to prepare a framework, manage risk, and accept uncertainty. This is an educational opinion, not investment advice.
That's exactly where a structured tool changes the game. The JARVIS METHOD — available via an indicator on TradingView, accompanied by a position calculator and session markers — serves as a framework for reading the market methodically rather than on instinct. The details of the know-how remain reserved for members, and that's intentional: you don't become a trader in three clicks. The complete and structured learning path of JARVIS Trading Institut (with bootcamps, mentoring, and events) is the natural starting point for building solid foundations.
Concretely, how do you approach a week like this one?
Here is a simple and constructive approach, at your own pace:
- Note the calendar: identify the times of major releases before the open. A prepared trader is not caught off guard.
- Set your risk BEFORE, never after. Position size is decided calmly, not in the euphoria of an announcement.
- Observe rather than chase: the first minutes around a data point are often turbulent. Stepping back is a skill, not a weakness.
- Keep a journal: note what you saw and felt. It's the best teacher.
To go further, the member area offers progress tracking, an orientation test, and an enriched trading journal (screenshots, result, mini psychological test) gathered in a "My Trading" hub with statistics. Mindset coaching works on discipline and emotional management, while the "My Form" section recalls an obvious truth too often forgotten: a rested trader decides better than an exhausted one. The Telegram assistant provides a plan for the day, a morning market brief, and useful reminders to stay on course.
What if you invest rather than trade?
Not all readers are looking to trade actively. For those building a long-term portfolio, the investment journal (stocks, ETFs, crypto) with prices and a weekly report offers clear and documented tracking. The comparative directories of brokers and prop firms, with their practical info (withdrawal times, for example), help you choose a serious framework — because the reliability of the counterparty matters as much as the strategy. And to feed your market culture, the daily editorial content (blog, "JARVIS Readings," glossary, country profiles) complements the training.
What to remember
Three events, one same logic: company earnings tell the health of companies, inflation tells the temperature of prices, the dollar and gold dance like a pendulum. None of this predicts where prices will go — so many factors come into play. But understanding these mechanisms lets you read the day with far more clarity. Your concrete step today: open the economic calendar for the week, identify the three key moments, and observe how the market reacts. That's how experience is born.
Educational content. Trading involves a risk of capital loss. This is neither investment advice nor tax advice.