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Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) is expected to announce new iPhones, an Apple TV box and possibly new iPads at an
event at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. Specifically, the company is
expected to announce iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, the same size as the 6 and 6 Plus but with software
and some internal hardware improvements. Apple is expected to announce an upgrade to the Apple
TV, but not a new bundled cable TV package, which most experts say won't be launched until the
next year. The company may also announce an updated iPad mini and a new iPad Pro, aimed at the
enterprise market.
The U.S. Labor Department will release job openings and labor turnover data. Job openings, a
measure of labor demand, are likely to have risen to 5.288 million in July from 5.249 million in
the prior month. (1000/1400) Separately, the Mortgage Bankers Association will release its
seasonally adjusted index of mortgage application activity, which includes both refinancing and
home purchase demand. (0700/1100)
Security software maker Palo Alto Networks Inc is expected to report fourth-quarter earnings
slightly above analysts' expectations. The seller of firewalls, which prevent data breaches and
block malware and viruses, has been benefiting from strong demand from corporate clients looking
to guard their data and networks from sophisticated cyber attacks.
A U.S. appeals court in New York will hear Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) Corp's challenge to a search warrant
requiring it to turn over to the U.S. government a customer's emails and account information
stored on a server in Ireland. Microsoft, along with privacy advocates and other technology
companies, has argued that the warrant improperly extends the authority of federal prosecutors
to seize private information held abroad. A federal judge, however, ruled in 2014 that the
warrant was legitimate because U.S.-based Microsoft controls the server. The case appears to be
the first in which a U.S. company has challenged a search warrant seeking data held in a foreign
country. Companies such as Verizon Communications Inc (NYSE:VZ) and Cisco Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CSCO) have warned that
their business could be harmed if users fear their private data is subject to seizure by U.S.
investigators regardless of where they live. The hearing is at the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals at 40 Foley Square in Manhattan.
Bookstore chain Barnes & Noble (NYSE:BKS) Inc is expected to report a first-quarter profit above the
average analyst estimate. Barnes & Noble is improving store merchandise, featuring popular books
and movies, and integrating its online and retail platforms to reverse falling sales. Some of
the company's efforts, such as overhauling its toys and gifts division, have been paying off.
Barnes & Noble spun off its profitable college books business last month to focus on its retail
bookstores and it hired a new CEO for the bookstore arm. Investors will look for updates to the
forecast, information on trends and store traffic and comments from the new CEO.
Cloud storage provider Box Inc will report its second-quarter results after the markets close.
Last quarter, the company raised its full-year revenue forecast as more customers signed up for
its content-sharing platform. Box's main competitors include privately held Dropbox, Microsoft's
OneDrive, Citrix Systems (NASDAQ:CTXS)' ShareFile and Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL)'s Drive. Investors and analysts will watch how
many deals Box managed to close in the quarter and how its plan to reach cashflow breakeven by
the end of the next fiscal year is panning out.
The Bank of Canada is expected to hold interest rates at 0.5 percent as it waits for signs the
economic pick-up expected in the second half of the year is unfolding. The central bank has cut
rates twice this year to boost an economy hit by the slump in oil prices. Despite a confirmation
that the economy was in a mild recession in the first half of 2015, signs of growth at the end
of the second quarter as well as recent strong export figures are expected to stay the bank's
hand. (1000/1400) Separately, the value of Canadian building permits is expected to have fallen
by 5 percent in July after jumping 14.8 percent in June. (0830/1230)
Mexico will release its annual inflation data for August. Inflation is likely to have eased to
2.62 percent in the 12 months to August from 2.74 percent seen in July, data from the national
statistics institute is expected to show. (0900/1300) Also, Brazil will announce its weekly
capital flows and foreign reserves data.
The Bank of England will host a briefing on the behalf of the Markets Committee at the Bank for
International Settlements (BIS) on efforts to strengthen the code of conduct standards and
principles in foreign exchange markets. The briefing will be on the record and consist of
opening remarks and a question and answer session. Reserve Bank of Australia's Guy Debelle,
Federal Reserve Bank of New York's Simon Potter, Bank of England's Chris Salmon and CLS Chief
Executive David Puth will be on the panel.
LIVECHAT: TRACKING FOREX with Track.com's Robert Savage
As the Fed grinds toward its September meeting, forex traders are gauging the next best bets for
the other side of a rate-supported dollar trade. Track.com CEO Robert Savage returns to the
Global Markets Forum at 1000/1400 to discuss prospects for major currencies as the U.S. prepares
for lift-off. To join the Global Markets Forum, click here http://bit.ly/1kTxdKD