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- 👉 The Market Expects Peace Soon
👉 The Market Expects Peace Soon
Accenture, Darden Restaurants, Tesla Robotaxi
Austin Hankwitz
16 Jun
Together with TaxQuotes
Welcome to your new week.
This Friday marks the official start of Summer 2025. We don’t have a crystal ball — but it seems like it’s going to be an insane summer in the markets.
Let’s dive right in to the Investing Week Ahead.
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Key Earnings Announcements:
Very small week of earnings — Accenture, Darden Restaurants, Jabil and Kroger headline.
Monday (6/16): Digital Turbine, Lennar, PetMeds, PowerFleet, ReNew Power, SAIC
Tuesday (6/17): Beyond Air, Couchbase, Jabil, La-Z-Boy, Ten Ltd, VistaGen
Wednesday (6/18): Aurora Cannabis, GMS, Korn Ferry, LiveOne, Smith & Wesson
Thursday (6/19): None Scheduled (Juneteenth Holiday)
Friday (6/20): Accenture, CarMax, Darden Restaurants, Kroger
What We’re Watching:
Accenture (ACN)
Source: Q2 FY25 Performance Presentation
Accenture reports earnings Thursday before the bell, with its stock down -11.4% YTD. Investor focus will be on momentum in new bookings, particularly in generative AI services, where Accenture has made sizable investments. But ongoing margin compression, macro headwinds, and uncertainty in federal contracts have kept sentiment muted.
Key metrics to watch include consulting vs. outsourcing mix, headcount trends, and updated FY guidance amid rising competitive intensity.
“We continue to scale AI responsibly and rapidly — but with a clear eye on driving productivity and business value for our clients.”
Accenture plc (ACN) Stock Performance, 5-Year Chart, Seeking Alpha
Darden Restaurants (DRI)
Source: Darden Restaurants Investor Relations
Darden Restaurants reports earnings Friday before the bell. Shares are up +45% over the past year due to strong casual-dining trends and resilient traffic at core brands like Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse.
Last quarter, total sales grew +6.2% to $3.16B — with LongHorn delivering a standout +7.5% same-restaurant-sales gain while Darden raised its full-year outlook
Investors will be watching for continued momentum in middle-income segments, margin stability amidst wage & tariff pressures, and updates on expansion plans. Darden is on track to open 50–55 new locations this year. Commentary on fine-dining versus casual demand, value positioning, and cost control will be key metrics to assess as the consumer spending environment remains uncertain.
Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI) Stock Performance, 5-Year Chart, Seeking Alpha
Investor Events / Global Affairs:
Israel / Iran tensions escalate, the Paris Air Show comes at an interesting time, and Tesla’s Robotaxi could be officially launching as soon as Sunday.
Israel / Iran Exchange Escalates
Iron Dome Defense System via Leo Correa / AP
Tensions spiked dramatically this week after Israel struck over 80 sites across Iran — including Tehran and strategic fuel infrastructure — prompting Iran to launch more than 200 missiles and drones (killing at least 13 people in Israel). The tensions are being viewed as Israel’s most extensive strike campaign yet, including targeted attacks on energy and nuclear facilities.
Global oil prices surged over +7% amid fears of supply disruptions, while equities faltered and safe-haven assets rallied. If hostilities intensify or Iran targets shipping routes, oil prices could spike further — adding new inflation risks just as the Fed looks to stay on hold.
Israeli officials have reportedly called on the United States to join the war more directly. There are also reports that “Tehran is ready to abandon enrichment but needs a face-saving exit.” Keep in mind — we don’t know if either of those headlines are 100% accurate. Situations like these are filled with constant confusion and conflicting headlines — leading to volatility.
Let’s hope this conflict can be resolved soon to save as many lives as possible. The global affairs leadership of President Trump is being tested to its fullest extent this week.
Our take? This will not turn into a full-blown war, and will be relatively short-lived. That doesn’t mean full resolutions will take place, but we don’t believe that missiles are going to continue flying for weeks on end. It seems like the market agrees with us right now.
“Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful, and the U.S. and others have assessed that Tehran has not pursued a nuclear weapon since 2003. But the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly warned that the country has enough enriched uranium to make several nuclear bombs if it chooses to do so.”
Paris Air Show
Source: GE Aerospace X
The Paris Air Show kicks off this week, offering a key stage for aerospace giants like Boeing, Airbus, GE Aerospace, and Honeywell to unveil next-gen tech, lock in major aircraft orders, and shift investor sentiment. With defense spending rising and commercial demand rebounding, the event could set the tone for the second half of 2025 across the aviation and aerospace sectors.
Source: GE Aerospace X
Over the past week — President Trump has signed an executive order on drones, flying cars, and supersonics + a London-bound Boeing 787 crashed in India, killing 270+ people. Oh — and the political unrest of the Middle East has reached this event as well. The French government blocked the displays of two major Israeli defense companies just before the conference started.
Aircraft updates of all kinds have been dominating the headlines, and we’d expect some exciting news to come out of the Paris Air Show.
“As our industry prepares to start the Paris Air Show, [Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stephanie Pope] and I have both canceled plans to attend so we can be with our team, and focus on our customer and the investigation”
Tesla (TSLA) Robotaxi Launch Coming Soon?
Tesla could launch its long-awaited robotaxi service in Austin as early as June 22, according to a recent social media post from CEO Elon Musk. The rollout would mark a pivotal moment in Tesla’s push to dominate autonomous mobility — an area Musk has called the company’s “most important” long-term initiative. Analysts say Tesla’s full-stack AI approach and vehicle production scale give it an edge in the robotaxi race, with Goldman Sachs noting its potential to lead the market in self-driving tech.
Robotaxis and humanoid robots are keeping me LONG on TSLA — and I will be indefinitely. I’ll be sure to keep you posted if that ever changes.
Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) Stock Performance, 5-Year Chart, Seeking Alpha
"We are being super paranoid about safety, so the date could shift."
“It is a very precise machine. It was driving really well on Austin streets, but more aggressively than I would have chosen. If somebody changes their direction walking or biking, that could pose a problem. It’s critical that police and emergency personnel know how to talk to these vehicles—using consistent hand signals and gestures. Waymo already does this. Tesla and others should, too.”
Major Economic Events:
The FOMC interest rate decision and retail sales are the spotlight.
Monday (6/16): Empire State Manufacturing Survey
Tuesday (6/17): Business Inventories, Capacity Utilization, Home Builder Confidence Index, Import Price Index, Import Price Index Minus Fuel, Industrial Production, Retail Sales, Retail Sales Minus Autos
Wednesday (6/18): Building Permits, FOMC Interest-Rate Decision, Fed Chair Powell Press Conference, Housing Starts, Initial Jobless Claims
Thursday (6/19): None Scheduled (Juneteenth Holiday)
Friday (6/20): Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Survey, U.S. Leading Economic Indicators
What We’re Watching:
FOMC Interest-Rate Decision
The Fed is widely expected to hold rates steady this week, as officials balance solid labor market data with signs of cooling inflation and rising tariff-related uncertainty. Despite President Trump’s public push for a full percentage point rate cut, markets don’t anticipate any action when the FOMC meeting concludes Wednesday. Instead, all eyes will be on Chair Powell’s press conference for updated economic forecasts and clues on timing for potential cuts later this year.
Current Fed Funds Rate: 4.25%–4.50%
Market expectations: No rate change in June or July (according to the CME FedWatch Tool)
“Our decisions will continue to be guided by the data—retail sales, inflation, and employment all play a role in shaping the path ahead.”
Retail Sales
U.S. retail sales rose just +0.1% in April, a sharp slowdown from March’s upwardly revised +1.7% gain, as consumers pulled back after a wave of tariff announcements early in the month. Categories like dining (+1.2%) and home improvement (+0.8%) led gains, while discretionary segments such as sporting goods (-2.5%) and apparel (-0.4%) declined. Core retail sale — the GDP component — fell -0.2%, suggesting consumer strength may be softening under inflation and policy uncertainty.
Economists expect the following this week:
Retail Sales — +0.2% month-over-month
Retail Sales ex-Auto — +0.3% month-over-month
“Despite declines in confidence caused by the economic uncertainty that has come with tariffs, consumer fundamentals remain intact. Consumers maintain their ability to spend and have strong reasons to spend now before tariffs can drive up prices or cause shortages on store shelves.”
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Cover image source: NBC News
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