The Week Ahead: Brick-and-Mortar Retail Earnings on Tap

Jeremy Glaser: Welcome to The Week Ahead. Retail earnings will be in focus during the holiday-shortened week.

Although many retailers have already announced sales data, we will get full reports from a number of firms including Macy's, Kohl's, L Brands, and the Gap. Brick-and-mortar retail has been under pressure recently as everything from changing consumer tastes to online competition and a slowdown in international tourist spending has weighed.

One retailer that has bucked this trend is Home Depot as it rides the wave of a stronger housing market. They report on Tuesday. Wal-Mart has been turning around its results and we'll see if that trend continues. In technology, HP Inc and Hewlett Packard Enterprise will both report.

It will be fairly quiet on the data front with existing and new home sales, and the University of Michigan consumer sentiment reading due.

Stay tuned to Morningstar for our takes on these stories.