My top 10 things to watch Thursday, Aug. 14 1. Stock futures ticked a bit lower this morning after the July wholesale inflation report came in much hotter than expected. The S & P 500 and Nasdaq are coming off back-to-back record highs. At noon ET today, I’ll discuss what’s next for the market during the Investing Club’s August Monthly Meeting. 2. The producer price index for July rose 0.9% month over month, well above the Dow Jones consensus estimate of 0.2%. That translates to an annual rate of 3.3%. Core PPI, which backs out volatile food and energy prices, also rose 0.9% on a monthly basis. A relatively tame consumer price index report Tuesday had increased expectations for a Fed rate cut next month. 3. Club name Cisco reported a good quarter last night, just not a great quarter. It is the security business that seems to have held it back. AI infrastructure orders were strong, totaling $800 million in the period and over $2 billion in the fiscal year. Bank of America upped its to price target to $85 a share from $76. 4. AI data center play Coherent disappointed on earnings, sending shares down nearly 20% this morning. Its laser business came up short in the quarter, while its networking unit was better than expected. Still, in downgrading the name to neutral, BofA expressed concerns about decelerating growth in data centers. 5. Barclays downgraded Illinois ToolWorks to an underweight sell rating from equal weight and left its price target at $243, below where it closed yesterday. Analysts see limited upside for the maker of industrial components unless there’s a big uptick in residential or consumer spending. I’d never put a sell on this great company. 6. Mizuho is the latest shop to hike its price target on Club stock Nvidia , going to $205 from $192 and keeping its outperform buy rating. As usual, the hype is building into earnings on Aug. 27. I’m not buying the chatter that Nvidia’s next-generation Vera Rubin chip, due out in 2026, is delayed. 7. Citigroup opened a negative catalyst watch on Estee Lauder ahead of earnings. Analysts worry its guidance could disappoint given the stock has nearly doubled off its April lows. What else is new when you’re levered to China and charge more than anyone else? I’d buy E.l.f. Beauty instead. 8. Sherwin-Williams landed an upgrade to neutral from underperform at BofA. The firm said the paint maker can outgrow its end markets once this down cycle ends. Club name Home Depot is another one that’s been hurt by sluggish housing activity. I’ll give my latest thoughts on it at today’s Club meeting. 9. Shares of Coach and Kate Spade owner Tapestry are tumbling about 12% after its earnings outlook for the year came in below the Wall Street consensus, likely due to tariff costs. The company is factoring in a 60-cent-per-share hit. That will be a big deal. 10. Truist upped its price target on Cintas to $265 from $240 following a meeting with management, which bolstered analysts’ conviction it can continue to deliver double-digit organic growth. As a uniform and First Aid provider to businesses, Cintas is a good barometer for the economy. Sign up for my Top 10 Morning Thoughts on the Market email newsletter for free (See here for a full list of the stocks at Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
