The Week Ahead
June 8, 2026
Economic news
Consumer Price Index
We’ll see the May data report for the Consumer Price Index (or CPI) on Wednesday which will provide key insights into inflation. If April’s inflation rate of 3.7% was any indicator of where things are heading, it’s problematic for the American consumer1. The main culprit has been higher energy costs; given that the conflict in the Middle East is still ongoing, it doesn’t seem likely that things improved much in May.
According to CNBC, a group of professional forecasters were surveyed, and projected that consumer price inflation could hit 6% in the second quarter2.
United States Balance of Trade
Despite tariffs, and President Trump’s general policy stance toward trade, the imbalance in U.S. trade remains stubborn. The trade deficit increased to $60.3 billion3 in March. Historically, the United States has experienced persistent trade deficits since 1976, reflecting strong domestic demand for imported goods and services. Looking to April, economists and traders alike will be looking to see if the balance of trade improved, though history suggests otherwise.
Earnings Related Market Movers
FuelCell Energy (FCEL)
FuelCell Energy has seen its stock gain 291% over the last twelve months4. The carbonate fuel cell power plant operator has seen a lot of attention over the last few years as a promising alternative to traditional fossil fuels. There is only one problem – there appears to be a major disconnect between the share price performance and the actual earnings of the company. FuelCell did produce some solid growth last year, finishing the year with $158.2 million in sales revenue compared to $112.1 million the year before, but net losses per share were $7.42. Things moved in the right direction in fiscal Q1 of 2026. Revenues increased 61% year over year to $30.5 million, while net losses per share were $0.49 versus losses of $1.42 the year before. Still, it’s hard to compare to the stocks valuation of $1.17 billion.
Cracker Barrel (CBRL)
Things have been slow for Cracker Barrel; over the last four years, sales growth has become weaker and this year sales are down5. Total revenue was down 7% year over year through the six months ended January 30th, and net income shifted to a net loss of $23.3 million.
The outlook for 2026 isn’t that bright either. Expectations for revenue are between $3.24 billion and $3.27 billion. That would mark a decline from fiscal 2025’s revenue of $3.48 billion6.
In all, Cracker Barrel seems to be struggling for momentum right now. Even in the second quarter, things didn’t seem to be picking up. Earnings per diluted share were down to $0.06 vs. $0.99 the year before, and revenues were down 7.8% to $874.8 million. The company has been putting a lot of money into transforming the business, and making its locations more modern, but the transition initially experienced some backlash7. Investors will be looking to see some new momentum next week.
Stitch Fix (SFIX)
Down 31% so far this year, the apparel company has had a rough run of it in terms of becoming profitable. Stitch Fix has seen its annual revenues decline over the last four years, with a loss of $28.84 million last year alone8. Things seemed more positive in the fiscal second quarter results reported back in March. Revenue grew to over $341 million, and losses narrowed significantly from $6.58 million in the same quarter of 2025, to $2.66 million for the three months ending January 31st.
While its second quarter proved positive, Stitch Fix provided a minimal outlook for its fiscal third quarter results. Expectations for net revenue were $330 million to $335 million marking a 1.5% increase year over year. Adjusted EBITDA was expected to be in the range of $7 million to $10 million9. We’ll find out next week if this holds true.
Another important statistic to note is that active clients declined 3.5% year over year in the fiscal second quarter to 2.28 million. That’s a major headache for a company that’s supposed to be in growth mode. No doubt investors will be focused in on whether client growth picked up.
1 https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/consumer-price-index-cpi
2 https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/15/inflation-rate-projected-to-hit-6percent-in-the-second-quarter-top-economic-forecasters-say.html
3 https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/balance-of-trade
4 https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/fcel
5 https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/cbrl/financials?mod=mw_quote_tab
6 https://investor.crackerbarrel.com/news-releases/news-release-details/cracker-barrel-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-fiscal-2025
7 https://www.wsj.com/articles/cracker-barrel-updates-menu-decor-some-miss-its-country-charm-c7b075e5
8 https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/sfix/financials/income
9 https://investors.stitchfix.com/news-events/press-releases/news-details/2026/Stitch-Fix-Announces-Second-Quarter-of-Fiscal-2026-Financial-Results/default.aspx
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