The stock market is heading into a catalyst-filled week as Fed Chair Jerome Powell gets ready to speak at Jackson Hole and big retailers report earnings.

Wall Street's main indexes closed roughly flat on Monday, after struggling for direction while investors awaited a raft of corporate earnings reports from major retailers for more signs about the state of the economy and the Federal Reserve's annual symposium in Jackson Hole.

Investors expecting to hear Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell give guidance Friday about the central bank's September meeting may be in for a letdown. This is because Powell will want to keep his options open in his speech in Jackson Hole,

The takeaway is that markets aren’t pricing in any sort of “succession premium” tied to any one chairman. The glidepath of monetary policy — regardless of Powell’s successor — appears structural, anchored to the Fed’s backward-looking framework . If that holds, it would mark a break from recent history.

Get insights on the 2023 Fed Symposium in Jackson Hole. Explore market expectations, Powell's agenda, and potential rate cuts' impact on the economy.

Gold was little changed as traders weighed US-led efforts to end the war in Ukraine, and counted down to the Federal Reserve’s annual Jackson Hole gathering, which may yield hints on possible rate cuts.

Gold prices edged up on Tuesday, supported by a softer dollar and Treasury yields, as investors hunkered down for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's upcoming speech at Jackson Hole later this week.